A few more fun links to take you into the weekend:
I’m back with the second edition of Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less.
1. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Good, but mostly I remember the puppy.
2. A Sick Day For Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead
One of the cutest, coziest books ever, with lovely art.
3. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Read it obsessively for a while, then found it lacking.
4. The Giver by Lois Lowry
The first book I can remember really making me think. A forever favorite.
5. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Felt more like a collection of ideas than actual characters or plot.
6. Kate’s Camp-Out (Sleepover Friends #6) by Susan Saunders
90s tween series about sleepovers. I think this one was a kind of ghost story?
7. The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole
This book taught me about mass vs. weight. Miss Frizzle’s class meets the universe.
8. Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
The novelization of the history of philosophy. Awesome, but the end got really weird.
9. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The second book to make me cry. More sadness about puppies.
10. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
The first in a series. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle helps parents manage their obnoxious kids, hilarity ensues.
11. The Ghost in the Attic (Haunting with Louisa #1) by Emily Cates
Non-scary ghost tale with a historical fiction twist. The only one I read in the series.
12. The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes by Ted Allen
Impressed my family with Allen’s recipes. Not too hard, but not too basic either.
13. Jacob I Have Loved by Katherine Paterson
Read this a lot, but I wanted to shake Louise and punch Caroline. Patterns understands isolation.
14. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Chilling and captivating. I liked this way better than Capote’s short fiction.
15. The Best American Travel Writing 2006 by Tim Cahill and Jason Wilson
First foray into travel writing. Now terrified to sail alone (not that I planned to).
I didn’t get to finish The Fault in Our Stars for the Friday Fifteen, but I might end up giving that a full review instead. Or I’ll save it for next week. Either way, feel free to share your own fifteen-word reviews in the comments.
When I first heard the term “book trailer” I was wary. We’re not making movies; why do we need trailers? But when I got to see some real examples, I was impressed by how much they can bring to a book’s release and how creative they can be.
Of course, book trailers don’t just appear, and I’m sure most writers don’t know how to put one together. Fortunately, Hazel Mitchell has put together a fantastic step-by-step guide for putting together your very own book trailer. I think this might work best for picture books, which have a lot of lovely illustrations already, but lots of helpful advice even for novelists. Check it out and put together your very own book trailer today!
One of my current favorite TV shows is Downton Abbey. It’s full of drama, awesome costumes, and plenty of snark. Brilliant! Unlike so many Masterpiece shows, it’s not based on a classic novel. But Book Riot has taken care of that with their literary casting.
My favorites: The Earl of Grantham as Henry Dashwood and The Dowager Countess as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. But I disagree with Lady Edith as Fanny Price (Fanny is not so ineptly evil!) and Lady Sybil as Marianne Dashwood (Sybil seems like a combination of Marianne and Eleanor, actually).
Check out the whole list for your daily dose of British fandom.
A little more literary fun for the rest of a rainy day:
These Roald Dahl stamps would certainly make me want to write more letters.
Matilda is my favorite. Click through to see the whole set. If you’re in the UK, you can get yours now!
A few years ago I read East of Eden and loved it. It was thrilling and engaging and touched on major emotional issues. So this letter from John Steinbeck to his son Thom about the nature of love warmed my heart. The whole letter is beautiful and touching, but here’s one part in particular I liked:
“There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you—of kindness and consideration and respect—not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.”
Make sure to read the whole letter. I want to print it up and post it above my desk, it’s so lovely (the letter, not my desk). It’s from Steinbeck: a Life in Letters, which I am putting on my immediate to-read list. Usually I don’t delve into the private life of authors, but in this case I think I’ll make an exception.
It’s a rainy and gross morning here, so this cheerful stop-motion video is just what I needed to start the day. In case you haven’t seen it yet:
Another reason to shop local: you never know when the books might come to live! (via Madigan Reads)
Last night was the launch event for John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars book tour, and I was lucky enough to go. The kick-off was hosted by Wellesley Books, a fantastic local bookstore. (Thanks to them, I’ve gotten to see Shannon Hale and Suzanne Collins, too.) Since John and his brother Hank are kind of internet superstars, the event was ticketed and was held at the Wellesley Middle School due to size.
I was toward the back of the line into the event, so by the time I made it inside the auditorium was pretty full. But it was so exciting to hear the cheers of the crowd before the event even started. Usually you get this kind of reaction at concerts or sporting events. Hundreds of teens and young adults were bouncing around at the thought that soon John and Hank would take the stage. The vibe was electric.
Since these are the vlog brothers, this obvious wasn’t your average reading. The event opened with a sock puppet show, followed by a brief reading of The Fault in Our Stars, included a couple of funny question-and-answer rounds (one of which ended with punishment–sorry Hank) and a couple of song sessions. Audience members sang along, shouted out questions, and cheered whenever the Katherine appeared. I went to a Green Brothers event a few years ago–for Paper Towns, I think–and the energy was even stronger here. It’s so awesome to see so many young people who are so excited by books, by making the world a better place, by connecting with one another, and by funny songs about Harry Potter.
Since I forgot my camera and my phone refused to be functional, I borrowed my husband’s phone and took these very sad pictures. I like to think that the problem was with my lack of knowledge about his phone’s camera feature, but I don’t think that’s really the problem. In any case:
Here’s John reading from the first couple chapters of The Fault in Our Stars. He wore a suit when he first came out but changed into jeans and a t-shirt later. Does that mean John suits up for his novels? Is this a comment about the sartorial aspects of the literary life? Am I thinking too much about pants?
Never.
Here’s Hank and his guitar. One of his songs was written for The Fault in Our Stars and it was really lovely. When he played “Shake-a-Booty” everyone got up and danced. It was a-dor-a-ble.
The line for signing was insane, so I got to read about half of The Fault in Our Stars before the evening was over. As a mini-review, so far it’s great. It might be my favorite of Green’s novels so far–a nice combination of witty dialogue, depth of character, and big ideas about life and death.
A few other fun things from the event:
I didn’t get home until almost midnight, but it was well worth it. I’m sure all the subsequent book tour events will be just as fun; Nerdfighters across the country are in for a treat.
Maybe a The Fault in Our Stars 15-word review on Friday forthcoming?
It’s almost two weeks into the new year, and your resolution is write more is lagging a little. If you need some writerly inspiration, check out these great books on writing. My favorite is Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. She’s encouraging, offers solid advice, and adds more than a dash of humor throughout.
A couple of others I’d add:
What are your books for literary inspiration?