You have got to check out this video link on Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog. Librarians rule the world–and that’s according to Lady Gaga in the library. Trust me, you won’t see librarians or libraries the same way again.
I’m starting to notice some of the same books coming across my path more than once. I think it’s a sign I should get myself to the library and check it out as soon as possible. Remember the book trailer for Incarceron that Miss Bowman shared with me? The trailer had me hooked, and now I see it again on What Writers Read.
Meet new teen author Jacob Parker in an interview on Writing It Out. Parker has written Kestrel’s Midnight Song, a young adult fantasy which will hopefully be released this September. He also created the hugely popular trailer for his book. You can find out more about him on his website, blog, Twitter, or Facebook. To celebrate the coming launch of his new book, he is giving away lots of free books and stuff at http://kmsparty.blogspot.com/
For a funny mashup of chickens, Suzanne Collins, and the BEA conference (a humongous gathering of publishers, booksellers, and authors) check out Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog at Madwoman in the Forest.
Have you ever wanted to create your very own dystopian world? Check out Angie Simbert’s Random Dystopian World Generator. Have fun and happy writing!
Have you ever read a book that changed your life? One that you read and reread, over and over? Take time to tell the writer how the book changed you. Maggie Steifvator did in a moving letter to author Diana Wynne Jones. Yes, now I have more books to read.
On a totally different track, I know some of you are into totally gross stuff. GuysLitWire has the book for you. Learn all about how squirrels use their tails to outsmart rattlesnakes and how police use snapping turtles to help with murder investigations Why Dogs Eat Poop.
Have you ever felt like you knew a fictional character. Maybe you wanted to warn them about what to do or not do. Maybe you wanted to be their friend and join their world. Now you can tell those characters exactly what you think on Ben Greenman’s new blog: Letters with Character. Check out what other readers have written and submit your own.
What music would you want to provide the soundtrack for the end of the world? Whether your world is being invaded by zombies or buring in a crashing meteor, check out these songs from the League of Extraordinary Writers for your end-of-the-world theme music.
For those of you who want to know what happens to Nick and Allie from Neal Shusterman’s Everlost (Skinjacker series), Shusterman gives some teasers for the third book in the trilogy, Everfound, due out June 2011. The first draft is down, now he’s off for revisions. Unwind is being made into a movie. Check out the movie website for more information.
I keep seeing Phillip Reeves’ name pop up, and I am intrigued. Guys Lit Wire reveiwed his latest book, Fever Crumb, and I’m definitely adding it to my books to be read pile. Then I’m searching the library for his Mortal Engines series.
You can also meet the characters in Tera Lynn Child’s newest book (out NOW) Forgive My Fins as they each write a guest blog post. Lily begins the week, followed by Quince. Who will it be tomorrow? Don’t forget to leave a comment on each post for a chance to win a signed copy of Forgive My Fins. In addition, TLC will donate a quarter (up to $500) for each comment to Oceana, a group that works to save our oceans. Right now they are focusing efforts on cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf. For more chances to win Forgive My Fins, visit Books, Boys, and Buzz and leave a comments on their posts this week.
Here are some of the most interesting tidbits from this week’s blog reading.
First, for all you Twilight fans–tune into Jimmy Kimmel of late night TV show on June 23 at 10 p.m. Kimmel will host Twilight Saga: Eclipse stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner in a primetime special called Jimmy Kimmel Live: Twilight Saga: Total Eclipse of the Heart, on ABC. Rumors from the Wrap noted that on the show, “Twihards also will see exclusive Twilight content a week before the film premieres.” (from Shelf Awareness)
Neal Shusterman reflects on his struggle with writer’s block during the writing of Everfound, the conclusion to the Skinjacker Trilogy begun with Everlost. Now if we could just afford to take a cruise on The Queen Mary to cure our cases of writer’s block. I also discovered a website for the movie version of Unwind. I’m in the middle of this novel right now, and it’s blowing my socks off. Imagine a world where parents can have the teenage children unwound–taken apart bit by bit to be used as organ donors. They don’t die; they just don’t live as one body any more.
The Goddess of YA Literature shared this video of the best 100 children’s books. Some of the books are a little young for you, but might bring back good memories. Others are titles I see some of you reading. Which books have you read? Which ones would you like to read? Which books would make your top 100 or top 10 list?
The Goddess of YA Lit also shared this gem: Once by Morris Gleitzman. Once is a story set during the Holocaust. Felix sets out to discover the truth about his parents. What he learns is shocking and horrifying. What I find even more horrifying is that the Holocaust happened and stories like Felix’s were all too common.
Which ones of you have followed the television drama Lost? I loved the first season, but got lost when the second season moved to a later time slot. My goal this summer is to watch the entire series, including last night’s finale. What you may not know is that this show features literary allusions in each and every episode–sometimes more than one. According to Shelflife, “ABC’s Lost enters its final chapter this week having referenced more than 70 books over six seasons. The Los Angeles Times noted that ‘an abundance of carefully placed works of literature have been featured on the show (in gym bags, on book shelves, in episode titles), spawning Lost book clubs and blogs filled with eager readers combing for clues to the fate of the stranded Oceanic Flight 815 survivors.’ Executive producers and writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are both readers who acknowledge literature’s influence on their vision for the series. ‘It’s a nod to that process,’ said Lindelof. ‘We pick the books with a great deal of meticulous thought and specificity and talk about what the thematic implications of picking a certain book are, why we’re using it in the scene and what we want the audience to deduce from that choice.'” Pay attention to those details!