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It's true, it just occurred to me that it's Friday, and I'm about to reveal the cover of FRIDAYS WITH THE WIZARDS! So exciting!
I love this cover, I think it might very well be my favorite. No . . . it is. It's my favorite. It's another beautiful painting by David Hohn. He's done all my Castle Glower covers, and he's the artist behind my amazing new covers on the DRAGON SLIPPERS trilogy. (True story: when he sent me the sketch for the cover of DRAGON SLIPPERS, I started to cry. It's my Shardas, and my Creel, and his beautiful windows!) David is fantastic, and he really tries to capture both the heart of the book, as well as highlighting the little details. On the cover of TUESDAYS, you will note that Celie is carrying her atlas and colored pencils, but did you also notice that the Castle is sort of leaning in above her? That's because, as David said, "It's giving her a hug." Couldn't you just die? Did you notice that on the cover of WEDNESDAYS, Rufus' paws are too big for him and his tail is longer than his body? He's clearly a young, gangly, growing griffin! So fantastic!
Well, this one does not disappoint.
It's based on an early design that David and I both loved for TUESDAYS, which seemed mysterious and exciting, but didn't really scream: First book in a new series! There's also some little details that I'll discuss after . . .
I . . .
reveal . . .
the . . .
awesome . . .
cover . . . !
Are . . .
you . . .
ready . . . ?
Are . . .
you . . .
sure . . . ?
Of . . .
course . . .
you . . .
are . . . !
Shall we now discuss how much we love it? Because we all love it a lot, right?
I mean, for heaven's sake, look at that griffin! That's Lord Griffin, by the way, and he is NOT HAPPY. Look at that expression! He's about to rip somebody apart like a worn out chew toy.
Look at Celie! We decided that since she's now about to turn thirteen, she needed a more grown up gown, and I just adore it!
And behind Lord Griffin we see Bran, in full wizardly regalia. And what's in Bran's hand? Well, I won't tell you, but it's really key to the story. Webmaster Mikey pointed it out to me first, and when I realized what it was, I started jumping up and down. YES! IT'S ON THE COVER!
So, I won't drop any more hints, because I know that they're maddening, but I will say that it comes out February 9th, 2016!
Summer!
Long days by the pool, glorious sunshine, the satisfaction of mowing the lawn on a Saturday morning!
Oh, who am I kidding?
I don't know how to work a lawnmower, and when you're a redhead, summer is the time when everything is trying to kill you. The heat. The sun. The bugs. The pollen. It's just one massive red sunburn/rash.
Last weekend we went to Idaho and I was on my parents' ski boat for four hours, covered in sunblock. I got massive burns on my legs and all around my hairline. YAY.
I like to stay indoors, where it's cool, and read. And as all of you know, I also like to set reading goals. The other day on Twitter I saw some authors asking, mystified, why people ask grownups about summer reading, because grownups don't get a summer break. But I would like to contend that we do, in a way. I'll be sitting by the pool because of the children, which means I'll be able to read while they have lessons. There's less running back and forth to school and school activities. Also, I have a babysitter come in the summer so that I can write, and when I have good solid blocks of writing, I like to take reading breaks.
So! Summer reading for adults is totally a thing!
Let's talk goals!
Last year it looks like I read 54 books between June 1st and Labor Day, I see nothing wrong with saying, Let's do that again! Maybe even, dare I dream, 55 books?! Also, though I know it's an impossible dream, I'd like to get my Goodreads To-Read shelf under 300. It's at 328 right now. The trouble is, for every 1 book I read off that shelf, I add 3. Why? Why? Why are there so many books to read?! WHY.
I also want this to be the Summer of the Rereads. I've already reread WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE? (because I now own my own copy) as well as reading THE LAST GURU to the kids. (Love me some Daniel Pinkwater! And so do the kids!) I also now have my shiny box set of IF I STAY and WHERE SHE WENT, and I'm dying for my own copy of THE NIGHT CIRCUS. Not to mention rereading JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL, now that there's a BBC series! So let's say I read at least 30 books off the ol' Goodreads To-Read, and reread at least three favorites? Sounds good, right?
And of course, since we're like, halfway into June already (how did THAT happen?), I've already got a few books under my belt!
So far, since June 1st, I've read:
VERY GOOD LIVES by J.K. Rowling
SHADOWPLAY by Tad Williams
REFLECTIONS by Diana Wynne Jones
ROYAL WEDDING by Meg Cabot
WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE? by Maria Semple
THE LAST GURU by Daniel Pinkwater
ALL BETTER NOW by Emily Wing Smith - This is a memoir by my dear friend Emily, who has suffered all her life from depression, as well as having a brain tumor and a traumatic brain injury when she was just eleven years old. The book won't be out for several months at least, but is WONDERFUL and I cannot recommend it enough!
I'm currently reading the kids FAT MEN FROM SPACE and FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK for myself. So we're off to a great start!
Also, some exciting news: SILVER IN THE BLOOD comes out on July 7th! So many events planned for the summer! A launch at The King's English on the 7th! An event at The Provo Library on July 29th! And ILA on the 18th! Plus a blog tour and giveaways! Keep checking the events page for dates and times!
Happy Summer Reading!
The news is out, for those who read Publisher's Weekly!
But for those of you who don't, I thought I would give you the rundown of what books are coming from me, and when and with which publisher. That's right: after ten years with Bloomsbury, I've just signed a contract with Random House! This is for a brand new YA series that will start in 2016.
But what about Bloomsbury, who publish the Castle Glower books? you ask. Well, fear not! I will still be writing the Castle Glower series, and working with my dear friends at Bloomsbury on other books, too. A lot of people who saw the announcement that I'd signed a deal with Random House seemed to think that I had parted ways with Bloomsbury, and would not be writing any more Castle Glower books, which is why I thought I'd set the story straight.
I also thought I'd take the opportunity to answer some frequently asked questions!
This is what my publishing schedule looks like, as of today, February 16th, 2015:
July 7th, 2015: SILVER IN THE BLOOD, Bloomsbury, young adult
And please let me stress that this is indeed young adult or teen. I'm seeing a lot of comments from people saying, "My daughter loves the Castle books! She'll be so excited!" This book is intended for teens, and skews older than any of my other books so far. It is not for my young fans of Princess Celie and her Castle. Please read responsibly!
February 2016: FRIDAYS WITH THE WIZARDS, Bloomsbury, middle grade
Yes, for those of you who were worried, I am continuing the adventures of Celie and her Castle!
Also in 2016, final date to be determined: STOLEN CROWNS #1
This is the first book in an exciting new YA series about the children of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and other fairy tale royals. When their mothers are kidnapped, the teenaged sons and daughters go after them on a strange quest that will lead them all across their world!
2017: SATURDAYS WITH/IN/ON/AT SOMETHING
As of right now, I'm planning on this being the last Castle Glower book. But don't worry: the ending will not leave you hanging! I will do my best to tie everything up very neatly so that they can live happily ever after!
2017: STOLEN CROWNS #2
Etc.
So, to answer your questions:
How many Castle Glower books will there be? As of right now: five.
How many STOLEN CROWNS books? I don't know. However many it takes.
Is STOLEN CROWNS #1 really the title of the book? Nope. It's the name of the series. The actual title is undetermined as of right now.
Whatever happened to HORSE BRIGADE? That book is done, the next next two are mapped out, and I just need to consult with my Bloomsbury editor (the first book is on a contract with them) about when it would fit into the schedule.
Is SILVER IN THE BLOOD part of a series? Maybe! It's a solo adventure, but if it does well, I have other things in store for the characters! (The ones who survive, anyway. Heh heh heh.)
When will you write more DRAGON SLIPPERS books? Listen, I love the dragons as much as you do, but do you SEE this insane schedule? I'll get around to them one day, all right?
When will you write the other nine Princess books? First of all, I NEVER SAID THERE WOULD BE TWELVE BOOKS! Like, half of them are already married at this point! Second, I might write one more, but again, the schedule she is cray-cray, and we will just have to see!
Aloha! I'm writing this post from my private cabana on Disney's Castaway Cay!
...
No, just kidding. I'm sitting in my bed and I need to shower.
Anyhoo! I know you're all dying to know: What did Jessica love in 2014? What books moved her? What movies thrilled her?
WAIT NO MORE!
I now present to you: THE BEST OF 2014 ACCORDING TO MOI!
Beginning, as ever, with the movie picks:
Movies for Grownups:
Guardians of the Galaxy (So much to love, from the story to the humor to the action to the characters themselves. We ARE Groot!)
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (I had to watch it twice to really appreciate it. It really leads in so well to the Lord of the Rings movies.)
Interstellar
Maleficent
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Winter's Tale
Live. Die. Repeat. (aka Edge of Tomorrow)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Chef
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Monuments Men
Movies for Kids:
The Lego Movie
Big Hero 6
The Secret of Kells (This movie is several years old, but I finally saw it, and it was gorgeous!)
Muppets: Most Wanted
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Planes: Fire and Rescue
And now, the books! BOOKS! BOOOOOOOOKS! So many good books this year! So many! As those of you who follow me on Goodreads know, I actually made my goal of reading 160 books in 2014! I'm so proud of myself! And so pleased, too, that I discovered so many great books!
Also, for the most part, these lists are all ten-way ties. To choose which one I liked better, LANDLINE or ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, is simply ridiculous, because they were both amazing, and so different. It's like asking which I like better: steak or dark chocolate.
Books for Grownups, Fiction:
LANDLINE - Rainbow Rowell
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE - Anthony Doerr
THE BONE CLOCKS - Brian David Mitchell
THE ROSIE PROJECT - Graeme Simsion
WINTER'S TALE - Mark Helprin
THE HUSBAND'S SECRET - Liane Moriarty
THE SILKWORM - Robert Galbraith
DANIEL DERONDA - George Eliot
GIDGET - Frederick Kohner
DEATH OF A POLICEMAN - M. C. Beaton
Books for Grownups, Fantasy/Sci fi:
SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE - Graham Joyce (Graham, who was so kind and hilarious and wonderful, passed away this fall after a long battle with cancer. If you haven't treated yourself to one of his gorgeous books before, start with this one.)
MY REAL CHILDREN - Jo Walton
WORDS OF RADIANCE - Brandon Sanderson
ANATHEM - Neal Stephenson (It took me two tries to get into this book, because the language is so different, but once I did . . . WOW.)
THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS - Patrick Rothfuss
THE BONE SEASON - Samantha Shannon
BLOOD OF TYRANTS - Naomi Novik
ODD THOMAS - Dean Koontz
FARTHING - Jo Walton
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS - M. R. Carey
Books for Grownups, Nonfiction:
THE EGG AND I - Betty MacDonald (I loved the movie as a kid, and just recently discovered that it was originally a book, which was autobiographical, and by the author of my beloved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books!)
EVERY LIVING THING - James Herriot
AS YOU WISH - Cary Elwes
Young Adult, Fiction:
I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN - Jandy Nelson (Definitely for older teens and adults, but so beautifully written and heart-breaking, it's my pick for the Printz Award!)
THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE - Leila Sales
WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE - Trish Doller
NOT IN THE SCRIPT - Amy Finnegan (Amy is a good friend of mine, and this debut YA book of hers is simply to die for! A fabulous rom-com!)
THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH - Rosemary Sutcliff
MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME - edited by Stephanie Perkins
THE SCANDALOUS SISTERHOOD OF PRICKWILLOW PLACE - Julie Berry
SKINK - NO SURRENDER - Carl Hiaasen
THE CHAPEL WARS - Lindsey Leavitt
THE OUTSIDERS - S. E. Hinton (Nope, I've never read it before. Yep, it was great!)
Young Adult, Fantasy/Sci fi:
DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS - Laini Taylor (Gorgeous ending to this trilogy!)
MIDWINTERBLOOD - Marcus Sedgewick (The Printz winner, and so deserving of it!)
A BREATH OF FROST/WHISPER THE DEAD - Alyxandra Harvey (The first two books in the Lovegrove Legacy and I couldn't put them down!)
IN THE SHADOWS - Jim diBartolo and Kirsten White
IN THE AGE OF LOVE AND CHOCOLATE - Gabrielle Zevin (Another great trilogy ender!)
THE SHADE OF THE MOON - Susan Beth Pfeffer
BLACKOUT - Robison Wells
CHASING POWER - Sarah Beth Durst
STEELHEART - Brandon Sanderson
AFTERWORLDS - Scott Westerfeld
Middle Grade, Fiction:
LIAR & SPY - Rebecca Stead
WEST OF THE MOON - Margi Preus
HOMECOMING/ DICEY'S SONG - Cynthia Voigt
CHARLOTTE'S ROSE - A. E. Cannon (This book is hard to find, and has been out several years, but it is just gorgeous, and fans of Little House on the Prairie will love it!)
THE SECRET OF THE FORTUNE WOOKIEE/THE SURPRISE ATTACK OF JABBA THE PUPPETT/PRINCESS LABELMAKER TO THE RESCUE/EMPEROR PICKLETINE RIDES THE BUS - Tom Angleberger (Basically, if you haven't read this series, you really must!)
THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING - Maryrose Wood
LIFE ON MARS - Jennifer Brown
THE SPY CATCHERS OF MAPLE HILL - Megan Frazer Blakemore
Middle Grade, Fantasy/Sci Fi:
THE HERO'S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE - Christopher Healy
NIGHTMARES! - Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
THE NIGHT GARDENER - Jonathan Auxier
THE MAGIC HALF - Annie Barrows
IRON-HEARTED VIOLET - Kelly Barnhill
THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA - Tony DiTerlizzi
THE WIDE AWAKE PRINCESS - E. D. Baker
THE PRINCESS IN BLACK - Dean and Shannon Hale
THE QUIRKS: WELCOME TO NORMAL - Erin Soderberg
THE FAIRY TALE MATCHMAKER - E. D. Baker
Graphic Novels:
TREATIES, TRENCHES, MUD, AND BLOOD - Nathan Hale
EL DEAFO - CeCe Bell
SISTERS - Raina Telgemeier
WHY GRIZZLY BEARS SHOULD WEAR UNDERPANTS - The Oatmeal
DRAMA - Raina Telgemeier
RESIDENT MAD SCIENTIST - Howard Tayler
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 1: COSMIC AVENGERS - Brian Michael Bendis
ANDRE THE GIANT - Box Brown
Picture Books:
SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE - Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett
MOO! - David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka
GASTON - Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson
HUG MACHINE - Scott Campbell
THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES - Brigette Barrager (My daughter has had the Princess Matching Game based on this for years, and I just realized that there was a book featuring this beautiful art, and the princesses are all flower names, too!)
UNI THE UNICORN - Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Brigette Barrager
WAITING IS NOT EASY - Mo Willems
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS - Jan Pienkowski
THE PIGEON NEEDS A BATH - Mo Willems
FOUND - Salina Yoon
Over the years, I've done a number of posts on my favorite Christmas books and movies and music. I'll let you peruse the blog to find those lists, because this year it's time to do something a little bit different.
It's time to do some holiday shopping.
I do, in fact, enjoy shopping. I particularly enjoy shopping for presents for other people. It gives me a thrill to find something I know that someone else will love for Christmas. Notable exceptions include my husband, Webmaster Mikey, who is a) picky and b) buys himself whatever he wants the second he wants it, and my brother Jason, who is . . . pretty much exactly the same. "I got you a panini maker!" "Ugh, I have like, five of those!" "Here's a shirt!" "Meh, I probably wouldn't wear that."
GAH.
But other people are great to shop for! Particularly my kids! My kids love everything they receive! They even like getting clothes! It's fantastic!
So that made my holiday shopping pretty easy this year, which means I have ample time to help you, dear reader, with your shopping lists! Especially since I have been up in arms about Gifts for Book Lovers, or what passes as a Gift for a Book Lover According to Entertainment Weekly. Now, I've been a subscriber to EW for almost twenty years now. I like movie gossip, mm hmm yes I do. It's true that I occasionally I think, "Wow, they are either super out of touch with the average human being, or am weirder than I thought," but mostly it's been a good relationship. EW is where I learned about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, one of my favorite books of all time, and Penelope, one of my favorite movies of all time, and where I go for all things Hobbit movie related.
And then, a couple of weeks ago, they published their Holiday Gift Guides, as they do every November. These are broken into categories like, For the Music Lover, For the Film Lover, etc. And the very first one? For the Book Lover. Huzzah! What excitement!
But I looked at the products on that page, and I squinted, and I checked the heading to make sure I was reading the right list, and I blinked a few times . . . and it didn't change. There still wasn't a book on that list. There were, in fact, things on that list that no self-respecting book lover would even purchase for someone else.
There were subscriptions to electronic reading services that deliver books to your e-reader, which seems okay, except that you can't choose the book or even the genre, it's a total crapshoot. You might get the latest Dave Eggers, you might get a cookbook, you might get . . . I honestly don't know. There was a baby onesie that had the EW logo on it. Which is cute . . . and has diddly poop to do with being a book lover. There was tea. Because all book lovers drink tea, amirite? And then, my personal favorite, a bookmark. Sounds like a good idea, right? I can always use a new bookmark! I love bookmarks! But this one was made out of filigreed brass, which is heavy and slick, two things that aren't that desirable in a bookmark, and it ended in a sharp point on one end, and that point was a pen. That couldn't be capped. That's right, it was A HEAVY, SHARP, SLICK, INK-FILLED BOOKMARK.
What is the WHAT, EW?!
I mean, seriously! It was honestly like they couldn't find someone who actually read actual paper books to ask, so they grabbed some random freebies they'd been given in the past year and slapped them on the page.
I just . . . I can't even. I'll stop now, and instead present you with a list of REAL gifts for the book lover in your life!
Ahem.
1. A book.
Can't go wrong there, right?
Don't know what title to get? Ask them! Say: "What book are you really excited to get your hands on?" I can guarantee that they'll tell you!
Or, here's an idea: Say that your friend raves on and on about The Hobbit, or Jane Eyre, or A Little Princess. Is there a new anniversary edition of that book? An illustrated edition? I just found darling little "pocket-sized" versions of Tolkien's books, with his original art on the covers! And I just helped someone at the King's English (I was a bookseller for a day, it was fabulous, btw) find an anniversary edition with new color illustrations of The Secret Garden for her grandchildren.
You can also purchase gift cards for their favorite bookshop, and let them have the joy of picking out a book themselves! Or do they like authors who are still alive? Check that author's website: It may be possible to get signed and personalized copies of the author's books! (Ahem. You can order my books, all signed and stamped and personalized, via the King's English Bookshop.)
2. A bookcase.
This could be pricy, but a number of people on Twitter brought it up. So, if you're a parent or a spouse of a book lover, how about it? How about a bookcase, maybe with a new book to go on it? Bookcases are kinda important, if you're a chronic biblioholic.
3. Bookmarks.
Yep, bookmarks. Even after my rant. But they are still useful. My favorites are the kind that have a tassel, or maybe some beads dangling from them, and there are infinite varieties that don't weigh five pounds and leak ink. There are book tabs that you can use to mark favorite pages. There are bookmarks with quotes on them, and bookmarks with jokes on them, cartoon and movie and book characters and even Justin Bieber! You must know a little bit about your book lover's habits or likes and dislikes! Get them a fun bookmark! Or, do they lose bookmarks a lot and complain about it? Do you see them marking books with scraps of paper or even a square of toilet paper? (We've all done it, don't judge.) How about getting them a whole bundle of bookmarks? I once got a whole packet of cheap little bookmarks with dragons on them for Christmas, and they were my favorite thing. I was a teenager, and lost bookmarks on a daily basis. They seemed to be in endless supply (though eventually I lost them all), but because of the cute dragon picture I really did make an effort not to leave them in library books.
4. Jewelry/clothing/book bags.
Check out www.outofprintclothing.com for starters. They feature a vast array of t-shirts, sweatshirts, baby onesies, socks, tote bags, wallets, notebooks, you-name-it, all featuring the original covers of classic books, portraits of authors, or favorite characters. They also have "library wear" that features library cards or banned books. Get your book lover a Pride & Prejudice t-shirt. A book bag that looks like an old-fashioned library card. Socks that feature banned books with the titles blacked out. A "doubleplusgood" necklace inspired by Orwell's 1984. So many fun things! Also, for every product sold they donate a book to a school in Africa.
Another good place for bookwear is Etsy. Do a search for "book jewelry" or "Jane Eyre" or whatever it is you're looking for. I have a bracelet that I love that has a favorite quote from Little Women on it: "She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain." Awesome, right? There are scarves with the entire text of Hamlet printed on them, or the map of Middle-Earth. Lockets with romantic quotes from Jane Austen. Beautiful prints of book covers, or book quotes, or even quotes about books. Embroidery. T-shirts. SKIRTS. No lie: there is a person who makes women's skirts with typewriters on them, or books, or the covers of classic books. The fabric must be custom made, and they are awesome (and under $50!). Etsy is chockfull of fun things for book lovers!
5. Notebooks/diaries.
Is your book lover also a writer? How about a list maker? I love to get notebooks! I use them to jot down ideas for books, or names that I might want to use in a story. I also like to carry one around in case I need to write down the name of a book or an author I might want to read. There are also a lot of fun journals and diaries geared toward book lovers, too, where you can make lists of favorite books and what they meant to you, or keep track of what you want to read or have read in a more organized fashion. These are usually found in the diary section of bookstores.
All right! Did that help?
GOOD.
Now, go do some shopping!
And remember: 'Tis always better to seek out the local bookstore than to click that button on Amazon!
(And if you're wondering about the picture at the top of this post: It's a Christmas book camouflaged against my Christmas sheets.)
Hello, everybody, and welcome to November! Yep, that's right! It's November already! And we're approaching the end of November, too. And you know what that means . . . Christmas shopping!
No! (Okay, more on that later!)
What it actually means is that Thanksgiving is nigh upon us, and now is the time in which to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. So I thought I'd be share some of that with you all. I bet you can guess, by looking at the picture at the top of this post, one of the things I'm thankful for.
If you guessed THURSDAYS WITH THE CROWN, you're correct! THURSDAYS is my tenth book. TENTH. BOOK. I'm so thankful for my career as an author. I'm so thankful that there are publishers out there who want to work with me, who want to bring my books to readers, I just don't even know how to express my gratitude enough!
Other things to be thankful for include my family. Webmaster Mikey, Boy, Baby Girl, and Baby Roo are all amazing, and I could not love them more. I'm also thankful for my extended family, who are always so fun and funny and supportive and awesome.
Take my mom, for instance. Last year I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease, along with several other stomach and digestive problems. I was having constant, terrible stomach aches. They were so severe that they would make me break out in a sweat, and often even vomit, just because of the intense pain. My doctor wanted me to be on a very strict food program for several months. I would have to cut out dozens of foods, and carefully eat combinations of other foods to make sure I was getting enough nutrition while still letting my liver, stomach, and intestines (which were apparently full of tiny holes) heal. How, exactly, is a mom of three with a full time job supposed to do that? Well, my mom moved in with us for two weeks. She cooked me my special food and my kids and husband other, regular food. For the first two days of this food program I couldn't have any dairy, but also no wheat, sugar . . . basically no carbs of any kind. I couldn't (and still shouldn't) have citrus fruits, tomatoes, apples, onions, or anything with acid in them. I thought I was going to pass out. I just laid on the couch while my mom brought me plain hamburger patties and raspberries every two hours. After my mom left, she called daily to check on me and give me suggestions, while I got the hang of trying to do it myself. She'd also left me with a freezer full of precooked food I could just heat up. Amazing. I feel better now than I've felt in years. I'm so thankful for my mom, and I'm also thankful that I no longer feel like I'm dying every time I eat!
I'm thankful for good books to read! Books like NIGHTMARES! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller, I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, and ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr.
I'm thankful for my new office in our basement, which has built in bookcases and pink and green walls!
I'm thankful for pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, and anything else you can put pumpkin in! Pumpkin is one of the few vegetables I can still eat! I think if my doctor had told me no pumpkin, I'd be dead now. Pumpkin and chocolate. Yes, so thankful for chocolate!
And I am thankful, as I always am, for Christmas. Christmas is coming. You all know how much I love Christmas, and everything to do with Christmas! The music! The food! The message of Christmas! Santa Claus! Christmas trees! Snow! Christmas books! Christmas movies! And it's right around the corner!
So let's talk about Christmas shopping!
For one thing, if you're in the Salt Lake/Provo/Orem area, you're in luck. You can come and see me and get books signed for presents! I'll be at the Orem Barnes & Noble this very Saturday as part of their Discovery Weekend, at 6 pm, along with several other authors. Barnes & Noble is offering special editions of THURSDAYS which have maps of the Castle in them and a special bonus story!
On November 29th, I'll be at the City Creek Deseret Bookstore in downtown Salt Lake City from 12-2 signing, and from 4-7 pm that afternoon I'll be a Bookseller for a Day at The King's English in Sugarhouse! And December 20th I'll be at the Barnes & Noble Fort Union from 3:30 to 5:30, signing those last minute Christmas gifts! Remember, too, that you can call in orders to The King's English, and I will sign and personalize them before they are shipped to you.
Books make wonderful presents, signed books make even better presents! Whenever my brothers ask me what I want for my birthday or Christmas, I always say, Books! And they go, Really? That's all? To which I reply:
How long have you known me? It's ALL about the books!
So give thanks for books!
Remember AGES and AGES ago when I went to Romania? Remember when we had that fun contest where you guessed where Shardas was? And he was in Bucharest and Sigisoara (can't spell that) and Sinaia? That was awesome, right? Then remember how I didn't talk about it for a looong time?
Well, guess what? I'm going to start talking about it again!
See, I came home from Romania in spring of 2010 and I really did write a book, using my travels as research. But then . . . I sort of sat on that book for a while . . . and that 'while' became four years. Because Super Secret Romania Project was so different from anything else I'd done, my editor and I kept pushing it aside. First because I wanted to finish my Twelve Dancing Princesses story arc, and get rid of the King Under Stone once and for all. Then there was a Castle, and that Castle needed some griffins. And then one day I was talking to my new editor about some story ideas and what to write next, and I said, "Or we could dust off SILVER IN THE BLOOD, ha ha!" and she said, "What's that?" And I found out that I had been sitting on that manuscript for so long that my trip to Romania had fallen into myth at my publisher, and people didn't even know if I'd managed to write a book about it or not.
But I did! A book that I, personally, love so much that I'm about to wax biblical:
For thus the manuscript was duly brought out of hiding, and dusted off, and inspected from all angles, and lo, it was as good as I remembered. And my editor and I did work upon it, and we did love ye story. But behold, it was very different from all previous books. And my editor said, "We should do something totally different with this cover." And I did say, "Oooh, yeah."
And a choir of angels sang....
And thus we see this cover of this Advanced Reader Copy. Which I will soon be giving away, once I can think more clearly thereon. And the book may be procured July 7th, 2015, and is for Young Adults, and those who are Young Adults At Heart.
And furthermore: Check out the EVENTS page here on ye websyte, for there are book tour dates for THURSDAYS WITH YE CROWNE.
Hello, all!
I hope you had a wonderful summer! I'm guessing it was far more restful than mine! Nevertheless, I did manage to get some reading done. I think I challenged myself to read sixty books. I don't know where I pulled that number from . . . wishful thinking, I suppose! The reality is . . . Fifty-four! Not bad, right? I've read 97 of the 160 books I've challenged myself to read this year, but according to Goodreads, I'm still ten books behind schedule. Le sigh.
Before I give you the list, let me tell you that I am awaiting final details of my October book tour for THURSDAYS WITH THE CROWN! I will post those events soon! I do know that I will launch the book one day early, on October 6th! It goes on sale officially on October 7th, but that is Baby Girl's birthday, and I am not THAT terrible of a mother... The launch party will be at The King's English in Salt Lake City on Monday, October 6th at 7 pm! I can also confirm that I will be at the Provo Library on November 13th at 7 pm, for the Utah Valley launch, so there's two options already for you, Utah!
I can also confirm that there will be special Barnes & Noble editions of THURSDAYS, which have maps of the Castle on the endpapers and a bonus short story at the end!
And in YA book news, my long-awaited Romania book, entitled SILVER IN THE BLOOD, will be out July 7th, 2015! Advanced copies are coming, and you know I'll do giveaways and show you cover art and all good things as soon as I can!
Now, the summer reading books!
From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day I read:
1. Peyton Place, Grace Metalious*
2. Midwinterblood, Marcus Sedgwick
3. The Chapel Wars, Lindsey Leavitt
4. Farthing, Jo Walton*
5. Words of Radiance, Brandon Sanderson
6. Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, Nathan Hale
7. Dreams of Gods and Monsters, Laini Taylor
8. A nd Then There Were None, Agatha Christie
9. Searching for Sky, Jillian Cantor
19. The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion*
20. My Real Children, Jo Walton*
21. Open Road Summer, Emery Lord
22. Gidget, Frederick Kohner
23. Silver in the Blood
24. In Darkness, Nick Lake
25. Fool Me Twice, Mandy Hubbard
26. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers
27. Jim Henson's The Labyrinth, A.C.H. Smith
28. Shadow on the Mountain, Margi Preus
29. Tuesdays at the Castle (read this aloud to my kids)
30. Silver in the Blood
31. No Graves As Yet, Anne Perry
32. Bad Monkey, Carl Hiaasen*
33. Silver in the Blood
34. Landline, Rainbow Rowell
35. The Silkworm, Robert Galbraith*
36. Rogues, edited by George R. R. Martin & Gardner Dozois*
37. The Glass Sentence, S. E. Grove
38. Wish You Were Italian, Kristin Rae
39. The Night Gardener, Jonathan Auxier
40. Charlotte's Rose, A. E. Cannon
41. One More Thing, B. J. Novak*
42. Silver in the Blood
43. Life on Mars, Jennifer Brown
44. The Chocolate War, Robert Cormier
45. Little Women and Me, Lauren Baratz-Logsted
46. Skink- No Surrender, Carl Hiaasen
47. Iron Hearted Violet, Kelly Barnhill
48. Wednesdays in the Tower (aloud to the kids)
49. I'll Give You the Sun, Jandy Nelson
50. Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark, Ridley Pearson
51. The School for Good and Evil, Soman Chainani
52. Chasing Power, Sarah Beth Durst
53. Blood of Tyrants, Naomi Novik
54. Double Whammy, Carl Hiaasen*
* - Solidly for adults, sensitive readers be warned.
Yes, that's right, I had to read my own book, Silver in the Blood, three times this summer, start to finish, as part of the editing process. No, that never got old, I love that book! On the other hand, some of these books were not my favorite. But let's not dwell on that! Let's talk about the ones that were my favorite(s)!
For grownups: The Silkworm (if you are not reading J. K. Rowling's alter ego, Robert Galbraith, you are missing out), Landline (older teens might like this as well. Some swears.), and My Real Children (in which Jo Walton again wows me with her excellence). The Rosie Project was darling and hilarious!
For teens: If you love fantasy, please treat yo'self to Brandon Sanderson's epic Stormlight Archive series. Words of Radiance is book two, book one was The Way of Kings. They are magnificent. Also, why are you not reading Naomi Novik's Temeraire books? Blood of Tyrants is the second-to-last, the first was called His Majesty's Dragon. They are must reads for fans of historical fiction and/or dragons. Both these series are for adults, but there is no reason a teen couldn't read them. Also, just for teens: I'll Give You the Sun should win all the awards this year. Midwinterblood was last year's Printz winner, and it deserved the medal! Chasing Power by my girl Sarah Beth Durst comes out soon (I got an advance copy), and if you like X-Men, you are going to love this!
Middle grade readers: The Night Gardener is wonderful and creepy and I want it to get awards. And Charlotte's Rose was absolutely wonderful. It's the story of a young girl (based on real events) emigrating from Wales to Utah with the early Mormon pioneers. She agrees to carry a newborn baby whose mother has died, and walks across the plains with the baby strapped to her back. Funny, harrowing, and heart-warming!
So, what did you guys read that I need to know about? Tell me in the comments!
GUESS WHAT?!
THAT'S RIGHT! IT'S TIME!
It's time for Auntie Jessy's Summer Reading Challenge!
YAY!
But first off I want to thank all of you who contributed to our Indiegogo campaign for ALTERED PERCEPTIONS! Thanks to you, we were able to raise $110,000 for our friend Robison Wells, which will ease the burden of debt on him and his sweet family! We even went over our goal, and were able to give that extra money to the dear Sara M. Eden, a fine historical fiction writer and gracious woman who suffers greatly from depression and rheumatoid arthritis. So thank you all for your help, and for putting up with my constant blogging, tweeting, and talking about the campaign.
And now on to Summer Reading!
For those of you who are just joining us here on the blog, every June I challenge myself to read a gross ton of books during the summer, and then I post my results in September. You are welcome to put your summer reading goals in the comments, and let us know your results in the fall!
This summer I'd like to read sixty books. Will I? Let's see!
I always say the summer reading term is from Memorial Day to Labor Day, so I'm off to a rip-roaring start with four books already under my belt:
PEYTON PLACE - Grace Metalious
MIDWINTERBLOOD - Marcus Sedgwick
THE CHAPEL WARS - Lindsey Leavitt
FARTHING - Jo Walton
WORDS OF RADIANCE - Brandon Sanderson
Admittedly, I did start reading WORDS OF RADIANCE long before Memorial Day, due to its incredible longness.
Other books I'm hoping to read this summer include THE ROSIE PROJECT, and GIDGET, just to name a couple. I'm very curious about GIDGET. I grew up watching the Gidget movies and the TV show starring Sally Field, about the cheerful, somewhat air-headed surfer girl and her boyfriend Moondoggy. I just discovered this last year that it was originally a book, and based on the author's own daughter and her friends. It sounds like a fun summer read. As does THE ROSIE PROJECT, SEARCHING FOR SKY, MY REAL CHILDREN, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, and a number of other delightful books that I have on my Goodreads to-read shelf. I just got back from BEA as well, and am loaded to the gills with new books . . . I feel like I'm surrounded by scrumptious chocolates of many different types, whichever shall I eat first?!
Aloha, fishes!
I have a little project that I'm involved in, and I'd like to take a minute to tell you all about it.
Some of you may know personally or have heard of Robison Wells, a fellow Utah YA author and good friend of mine. Rob is the author of VARIANT, FEEDBACK, and BLACKOUT, all three of which are superb YA sci fi, and I highly recommend them. You may have seen these titles on my "Best of" book lists the last three years or so. Along with being a fine, gifted writer, Rob created the Whitney Awards for LDS authors, and I'm very proud to say that DRAGON SLIPPERS won the award for Best Novel by a New Author back in 2008!
Rob also, like many creative people, suffers from mental illness.
I have struggled with depression since high school, most seriously after the birth of our first child, and mental illness is horrible and something I would not wish on my worst enemy. Which is why I am doing this for Rob, my friend. Rob has depression, OCD, agoraphobia, and a panic disorder. Yep. I keep asking him if he offended an old Gypsy woman as a child, he's a little vague on that point. His illnesses have greatly affected his life and the lives of his family (he and his sweet wife have three young children). Until very recently, Rob didn't qualify for health insurance (many authors did not, as we are "self-employed") and so the bills for his medicine and therapy came entirely out of his own pocket. Those bills have built up, and been added to student loans and delayed taxes (authors get SLAMMED with taxes). Rob and his little family are in serious debt, which only adds to his mental burden. None of this debt is from fancy vacations or shopping sprees. It's most medical, and it is weighing heavily on him and his wife.
But the good news is that Rob has a lot of author friends! And so we decided to help in the best way we could: with our writing! We've put together an anthology and started a fundraiser on Indiegogo for Rob! The anthology, called ALTERED PERCEPTIONS, is going to be fabulous! It features authors such as Brandon Sanderson, Shannon Hale, Dan Wells (Rob's brother, and also a gifted writers), Brandon Mull, Bree Despain, Ally Condie, Lauren Oliver, and over a dozen more. It will all be previously unpublished material, but the bulk of the stories will be alternate endings, cut chapters, and other goodies from our existing books! I'm contributing the original ending of PRINCESS OF GLASS, which I ended up cutting because it, ahem, encouraged gambling. Rob is adding a new epilogue for the VARIANT duology, which I am dying to read. Shannon Hale is submitting a short story that is . . . horror! No joke! This anthology is going to be incredibly fabulous, people, incredibly. As part of the Indiegogo campaign there will be other perks available as well. An e-book of the anthology is just $10, a hardcover is $28, but there are also options for signed, numbered editions, library sets, and more. You can also get a critique by one of the participating authors (not me, someone who's GOOD at critiques), have dinner with Rob, or spend a weekend at a guest house writing retreat!
We were featured in the Deseret News today:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865601820/Anthology-to-benefit-Utah-author-with-mental-illnesses.html?pg=all
And here, finally, is the link to the Indiegogo site with all the details, including a full list of the authors involved :
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/altered-perceptions#home
Check it out, and if you're able, please help us help Rob!
If we go over our goal, we will be setting up a fund to help other authors who have looming medical expenses. No penny will be used to produce the book or any of the perks, 100% of the money will go to Rob or another struggling author.
The previous two winners did not contact me! I am le sad! But this is good news for our two NEW winners:
Christine B. and Lars!
Please email me: theauthorATjessicadaygeorgeDOTcom to collect your fabulous prizes!
Congratulations to Heather of Precarious Optimism, who just won the complete DRAGON SLIPPERS trilogy!
And congratulations also to Carolyn of Risking Failure, who just won the ARC of THURSDAYS WITH THE CROWN!
If you ladies would please email me your mailing info and make sure you tell me who you want the books signed for!
Email: theauthorATjessicadaygeorgeDOTcom
And to the rest of you: I'm sorry, and don't worry. More contests will come!
How much do we love the David Hohn covers for my books?
SO MUCH?
The correct answer is SO MUCH!
I have looked forward to seeing the final covers for every one of my books like it's Christmas, and you know how much I love Christmas! I mean, look at these gorgeous new DRAGON SLIPPERS covers!
Webmaster Mikey says that SPEAR is his favorite, but I have to admit that I cried a little when I saw SLIPPERS. It's Shardas and Creel in his cave! So beautiful!
These are available now, wherever fine books are sold, as paperbacks! Buy one (or all three) today!
Wait . . . you think I should give away a set? Well, all right! Leave a comment to enter to win a set of the DRAGON SLIPPERS trilogy with fancy new covers!
And now on to THURSDAYS! I think it's safe to say that the cover of THURSDAYS did not disappoint. I love it wholeheartedly, and so will you!
So without further ado, I present the cover of THURSDAYS WITH THE CROWN, which will hit the shelves October 7th, 2014!
Do you love it? I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH!
I love it so much that I am about to give away an advanced reader copy! THAT'S RIGHT, KIDS! Comment and you could win an advance copy of THURSDAYS WITH THE CROWN!!!! Do it now! I will close the contest on Saturday night at 10 pm!
Almost got ahead of myself there, and called it the best books of 2014 . . . it's true, there are already some strong contenders for next year's best of lists.
But I shall instead delve back, way back, into a happier, simpler time. A time called 2013, when I read some really, REALLY great books. I know that this post is coming late, and the real awards have already been given. But I am nothing if not lazy, so I'm just getting to this, okay? If you have not yet feasted your eyes on the list of winners of this year's ALA award winners and honorees, you can find that here: http://www.ala.org/alsc/2014-alsc-media-awards
And then there's MY Best Of Lists!
(Just a reminder: these are the books that I read this year, but they may have been published earlier.)
Picture Books:
1. The Christmas Wish - Lori Evert
(Oh, my gosh, have you SEEN this book?! Photographs of a darling Norwegian child searching for the North Pole on the backs of reindeers and polar bears? Magnificent!)
2. Extra Yarn - Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen
3. The Babylit Books - Jennifer Adams, Alison Oliver
(This is a series of board books based on classic novels: Dracula, Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre. They teach basic concepts like colors, counting to ten, and shapes, but also capture the gist of the original novel and have such bold, wonderful illustrations that they grab your attention immediately. My toddler loves them, and so do I!)
4. Penguin and Pinecone - Salina Yoon
5. Ball! -
(My toddler's first word was ball, which is the only word in this book.)
6. Oh No, George! - Chris Haughton
7. Song of the Stars - Alison Jay
8. Old MacDonald Had a Dragon - Ken Baker
9. I'm a Frog! - Mo Willems
10. Zombelina - Kristyn Crow, Molly Idle
Middle Grade:
1. Donner Dinner Party - Nathan Hale
(If you aren't reading Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, a series of graphic novels about American history, then you are missing out. This was his best so far, and they've all been superb.)
2. Flora and Ulysses - Kate DiCamillo
(I was so happy this won the Newbery!)
3. Fortunately the Milk - Neil Gaiman, illus. by Skottie Young
4. The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom - Christopher Healy, illus. by Todd Harris
5. Wonder - R. J. Palacio
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
(So this is the year I discovered Diary of a Wimpy Kid along with my oldest son. We quickly read the entire series, and I have to say: gross, irreverent, and hilarious! Greg is horrible, but so realistic!)
7. See You At Harry's - Jo Knowles
8. Horton Halfpott: or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset - Tom Angleberger
(If you aren't just devouring the Origami Yoda series (and why aren't you?), at least try this, which was madcap and hilarious!)
9. Revenge of the Witch - Joseph Delaney
(So, I saw a trailer for a movie that looked like awesome cheesy fantasy fun, starring Jeff Bridges and Ben Barnes, and at the end it says, Based on the beloved series, and I was like, WHAT?! Looked it up and discovered these books, the covers of which often catch my eye, and tried the first one. Awesome. Can't wait for the movie or to read the rest of the books! Beware of girls in pointy shoes!)
10. The Lost Kingdom - Matthew J. Kirby
Young Adult:
1. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
(Can't get this out of my head. Can't. Especially if you are a Harry Potter fan, or write or read fan fiction, you should read this. Wonderful.)
2. Just One Day/Just One Year - Gayle Forman
3. All the Truth That's In Me - Julie Berry
4. Conjured - Sarah Beth Durst
5. The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
6. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
7. Dangerous - Shannon Hale
8. Stork - Wendy DelSol
9. Shadows - Robin McKinley
10. Butter - Erin Lange
Adult Nonfiction:
1. Jim Henson: The Biography - Brian Jay Jones
(I am the hugest Jim Henson fan, Labyrinth, the Storyteller, the Muppets, you name it. This was the most amazing look at his life, I was almost beside myself with more emotions than I can name. An in-depth, loving biography, but not one that hid the truth for the sake of flattering.)
2. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened - Allie Brosh
3. Sailing Alone Around the Room - Billy Collins
(This is a collection of poems, and they are wonderful.)
4. A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
5. Motherhood Comes Naturally, and Other Vicious Lies - Jill Smokler
6. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops - Jen Campbell
7. Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls - David Sedaris
8. All Wound Up - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
9. How To Survive a Garden Gnome Attack - Chuck Sambuchino
10. Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits - Hansi Singh
Adult Fiction:
1. River of Stars - Guy Gavriel Kay
(I know, surprise surprise. My favorite living author? Yes.)
2. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? - Maria Semple
(So amazing, too. And a great read for older teens as well as adults.)
3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
(Really, the top three were almost a three-way tie. And actually, all of them suitable for older teens, I think.)
4. All Creatures Great and Small, All Thing Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, Every Living Thing - James Herriott
(So this year I discovered James Herriott, and it was wonderful. Rediscovered, actually. We used to listen to some of his books on audio on car trips. So delightful, and suitable for teens and some stories I even read aloud to my kids.)
5. The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith
(I'm sure we're all aware this is J. K. Rowling by now, right? Well, this book was amazing, and if you haven't read it, you should. It is NOT for teens or kids, but for adults, but if you love a good mystery and a quirky detective, this is for you. I hope she writes many more, and I don't care WHAT she calls herself, I freakin' love Cormoran Strike!)
6. A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
(Twenty-two years of my life all came down to this book. Twenty-two years of waiting. It did not disappoint.)
7. Timeless - Gail Carriger
8. Cold Days - Jim Butcher
9. The Silver Linings Playbook - Mathew Quick
10. Monster Hunter Legion - Larry Correia
Lifetime Achievement Award: Ray Bradbury
For my birthday this year I asked for, and received, Stories by Ray Bradbury. This is a collection of 100 of his short stories, selected by Bradbury before his death. They are HIS favorites. I am the hugest Bradbury fan: I love Fahrenheit 451, I love his Martian Chronicles, and I love Dandelion Wine. I thought I was quite the aficionado until I read this and realized that I only knew a dozen or so of the stories, and nearly 90 more in the collection were new to me! And they were fantastic! If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say The Cold Wind and the Warm. I did not know that he'd written stories based on the years he lived in Ireland, and they delighted me, most particularly that one. If you haven't read Bradbury, don't start here, but if you have, pick up this book immediately. If you haven't read Bradbury, go for Fahrenheit 451 and then The Illustrated Man. Then Dandelion Wine. Then the Martian Chronicles.
But do read Bradbury. Just do.
In years past I've done movie lists and kept it to ten or eleven movies, but this year I pretty much enjoyed everything I saw, so I think I will take a page from my friend Howard Tayler's book and just list all the movies I saw, in order of personal enjoyment. (Howard Tayler is a web cartoonist and the creator of Schlock Mercenary. If you don't know Schlock, check out www.schlockmercenary.com, and you're in for a treat!) I was looking at my list of movies and thinking, am I just not as discerning about FILM as I once was? I searched in my heart and the answer that I came up with was . . . Well, sort of.
Once upon a time, Webmaster Mikey and I used to go to the movies every week. We saw things like Zoolander, and Drop Dead Gorgeous, and also things like Mirrormask and The Whale Rider, because we could! We could drop everything and go to the movies any time we wanted! Because there were no children who needed babysitting, and so it was very easy! But now there are three children, THREE, and one of them will not even sit still long enough to see a Disney movie, so now we are more choosy. How badly do we want to see this movie, and is it getting good reviews? Has my sister seen it? Does she think it's worth getting a babysitter for? These are questions that we must first ask, and so the list of movies I've seen has narrowed.
Also, it rarely includes poignant films in which ugly people talk about their issues. But it does include movies in which superheroes save things and stuff gets blown up, because if I'm going to drop $25 for a babysitter plus the price of movie tickets and popcorn, I want to see a Hemsworth brother with no shirt on, and that's that!
And so, the lists!
Here are my favorite animated films from this year:
1. Frozen
2. Monsters University
3. Despicable Me 2
And the grownup movies:
1. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2. Iron Man 3
3. Thor: The Dark World
4. The Way, Way Back
5. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
6. World War Z
7. Warm Bodies
8. Star Trek: Into Darkness
9. Saving Mr. Banks
10. The Lone Ranger
11. Man of Steel
12. Elysium
13. Pacific Rim
14. Gravity
15. Ender's Game
16. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
17. R.I.P.D.
18. The Wolverine
19. Jack the Giant Slayer
Voila!
Although, speaking of people talking about issues: I did go see Philomena last night, and it was wonderful! Two thumbs way up for that sweet film! And in the coming year I'm really looking forward to Winter's Tale, The Lego Movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and The Muppets: Most Wanted.
How about you guys?
So! Happy New Year! 2013 was quite the year, eh?
I don't know about you, but I had some ups and downs this year. For instance (on the up side), Baby Roo turned one! I read 151 books! And saw some really great movies!
Oh, and I also discovered I had a couple of kind of serious health problems, but that's all under control now. (Side note: don't drink soda, kids!) Also, I had set a goal of reading 160 books this year, and fell nine books short. Sigh.
But of course, WEDNESDAYS IN THE TOWER was a New York Times Bestseller, so that's a win, right? And I found out it was on the list while I was on a cruise . . . so yes, also full of win! I went on my first ever book tour, which was fun, but also exhausting. Baby Girl turned 5! Boy turned 9! I turned an age between 35 and 40!
What's in store for 2014, you ask?
Well, I've written some updates for the FAQ page, and those should be up this weekend. My next book will be out in September, and is yes, the sequel to WEDNESDAYS. The title is THURSDAYS WITH THE CROWN, and the cover will be by the same fantastic artist, David Hohn, and I hope to post it soon!
Also coming soon to the website will be my always anticipated BEST OF lists, like the best movies and the best books of 2013, according to me! So watch this space!
Well.
Hm.
I've discovered a strange phenomenon.
As soon as I say I'm going to get my Goodreads "to-read" shelf under 300 books, or that I'm going to get the hazardous, three-deep pile of books off my bedside table before one of the children is buried alive, the universe conspires against me. Friends and favorite authors publish wonderful books. Library holds I placed so long ago I had forgotten them suddenly come in. The next thing I know, I'm putting two books on the to-read list for every one I actually read. There's a terrible new thing on Facebook as well called the Booklist Challenge. Have you seen this? It's basically page after page of, well, book lists that you can check off and that gives you a score at the end. I'm a sucker for such things, and I have been shocked, SHOCKED at how poorly I rate on some of them. There was a list of the fifty books everyone reads in high school . . . turns out I've read about seven of them. I realized that I've had so many conversations about classics like Lord of the Flies or Catcher in the Rye that I've almost convinced myself that I really have read them. I bit the bullet and added a bunch of things to the list, just because I have decided that before I die, I probably should really read something by Agatha Christie (no, I'm not kidding: I have never read a book by Agatha Christie). I vaguely remember listening to the audiobook for Call of the Wild, but have never read anything by Jack London. No foolin' people. It's kind of embarrassing.
But I did read SOME books this summer. And this despite also having to WRITE a book this summer!
So yes, the next Castle Glower book in the hands of my editor. I'd say, Let's hope she's gentle with it, but that would be a lie. I'm well aware that my books (in general and this one in particular) need a good editing. So edit away, m'dear!
And now, the list in chronological order, of books from Memorial Day to Labor Day!
(Actually, I've decided to start with my vacation, which was the week BEFORE Memorial Day. Just because that was the start of the summer for me.)
TIMELESS by Gail Carriger
TOURIST SEASON by Carl Hiaasen
THE HERO AND THE CROWN by Robin McKinley (obviously a reread, in a shiny new cover)
LET'S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS by David Sedaris
CRUCIBLE OF GOLD by Naomi Novik
THE BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley (another shiny new cover!)
THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM by Christopher Healy
DEAD EVER AFTER by Charlaine Harris
ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL by James Herriot
THE SPINDLERS by Lauren Oliver
ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll (aloud, to the kids)
FRAGMENTS by Dan Wells
STORK by Wendy Delsol
EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer
THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey
WARM BODIES by Isaac Marion
ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins
THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS by Lewis Carroll (aloud, to the kids)
A WALK IN THE WOODS by Bill Bryson
ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL by James Herriot
AFTER by Amy Efaw
THE MONSTER IN THE MUDBALL by SP Gates
BLOOD MOON by Alyxandra Harvey
JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH by Roald Dahl (aloud to the kids)
THE CUCKOO'S CALLING by Robert Galbraith
LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson
THE CAT WHO WENT TO HEAVEN by Elizabeth Coatsworth (aloud to the kids)
DONNER DINNER PARTY by Nathan Hale
BLOOD PROPHECY by Alyxandra Harvey
HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK by Chuck Sambuchino
THE LAST APPRENTICE: REVENGE OF THE WITCH by Joseph Delaney
THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbo
MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE by Betty MacDonald (aloud to the kids)
BABY MOUSE BURNS RUBBER by Jenni Holm
LOKI'S WOLVES by K. L. Armstrong and M. A. Marr
MESSENGER by Lois Lowry
THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN by Dan Jurgens
ALL THINGS WISE AND WONDERFUL by James Herriot
GOING DARK by Robison Wells
Thirty-nine books?! THIRTY. NINE. That's so annoying! Why not forty? Ugh.
Anyway, as you can see, I got on a little James Herriot kick. I remember the stories vividly from audiobooks as a kid on long car rides, and picked up a copy of the first book this summer, got hooked, kept going. Also finished off The Parasol Protectorate (Farewell, Alexia!) and the Sookie Stackhouse books (sob) and The Drake Chronicles (I LOVE YOU ALL, DRAKE BOYS!). I also discovered an obscure new mystery writer by the name of Robert Galbraith I really recommend.
JUST KIDDING.
I mean, you all know that Robert Galbraith is J. K. Rowling, right? Well, it's true. And the book is WONDERFUL. But please realize that it is for adults. There is LANGUAGE and other grown up things. Not as much as in THE CASUAL VACANCY, but some.
To sum up: A good summer's worth of reading. Not as much as I would have liked, but I did have to do a little work here and there. Also, these children with their demands for food and attention! Sigh.
What did you guys read this summer? Anything exciting?
I dunno, that just felt like a good title.
You see, it's not so much griffins galore, it's mostly one griffin. One AWESOME griffin, one Rufus by name!
Since last I blogged, you see, some things have happened. WEDNESDAYS IN THE TOWER came out . . . and debuted at #10 on the New York Times Bestseller List! I was on a cruise at the time, and didn't get the news for a couple of days, and when I did, my arms went numb! It was quite weird. I was sitting in our cabin with my feet up, getting my email, and I saw that email and just . . . went numb. I sat there laugh-crying at my husband while he read the email, because I was too stunned to talk! It is still so surreal to me. Every so often it hits me that from now on, my books will all say, "New York Times Bestselling Author" across them, and I freak out a little all over again.
So, yes, I was on a cruise. I was also on a book tour, so the month of May was a little crazy. I lost track of how many flights I was on, now many times I got up at 4 am to get to the airport, and how many times I gave a school presentation. But it was fun, all of it! The schools were great, the bookstores were great, the cruise was great. All great all around! I highly recommend both cruises and book tours as vacation options in the future, if any of you are wondering. (Although in all honesty, swimming with dolphins in Cozumel was slightly better than giving three school assemblies in one day. Slightly.)
I also found out in May that TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE is one of the Summer Reading books for Barnes & Noble, and I could not be more delighted. Kids who do their Summer Reading program and read 8 books this summer can pick a copy of of TUESDAYS as their free book! Yay!
Now that WEDNESDAYS is out there in the world, allow me to take this opportunity to apologize for the ending. It's not a bad ending . . . it's just a bit of a cliffhanger. But don't worry, I'm working hard on THURSDAYS IN THE SOMETHING SOMETHING, and soon all questions will be answered! (By soon, of course, I mean next spring. Sorry.)
And now on to Other People's Books.
You know what time of year it is? It's SUMMER READING TIME!
I am not even going to try and challenge myself to a certain number this year. I mean, on Goodreads I've challenged myself to read 160 books this year, and I'm falling a wee bit behind, but no specific number for the summer. I do have a large stack of books on the bedside table, as per usual. I probably have close to 50 other books in my house that I haven't read yet, but this is my method for this summer.
1. Find fun book.
2. Read fun book.
Basically, I've decided to choose my books this summer by whatever pops into my head as being the Most Fun This Second. Let's face it, we all have books we know we SHOULD read, like OUR MUTUAL FRIEND or EAST OF EDEN, but I'm putting those aside this summer. I took a look at my Goodreads to-read shelf last night, then I went onto my library website, and put the five books that jumped out at me on hold. I might reread a few things, I might very well decide to read OUR MUTUAL FRIEND, but I'm going to take it one book at a time. Right now I'm reading FRAGMENTS by Dan Wells (which is awesome). And I read some very fun things on my cruise and book tour (like TIMELESS, TOURIST SEASON, and CRUCIBLE OF GOLD), and so I think I will include those on my summer reading list. So let's say that Summer Reading this year starts on May 1st, shall we? And goes until September 3rd!
Which means that thus far I have read:
CATE OF THE LOST COLONY by Lisa Klein
NEED by Carrie Jones
TIMELESS by Gail Carriger
TOURIST SEASON by Carl Hiaasen
THE HERO AND THE CROWN by Robin McKinley (a reread, obviously)
LET'S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS by David Sedaris
CRUCIBLE OF GOLD by Naomi Novik
THE BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley (reread)
THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM by Christopher Healy
DEAD EVER AFTER by Charlaine Harris
ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL by James Herriot
THE SPINDLERS by Lauren Oliver
I have also read CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND aloud to the kids.
Go forth and read! And if you feel like picking up some copies of WEDNESDAYS IN THE TOWER for your friends and family, I'm not gonna object.
News, news, news! (Also, more news!)
I haven't blogged much lately, so there is lots to cover! Strap yourselves in!
First of all, WEDNESDAYS IN THE TOWER will be out on May 7th! Mark your calendars, kids! And how much do you love this cover? Because, personally, I love it a LOT! I will be going on a book tour to celebrate the release, which is super exciting! There are no firm dates/locations yet, but places being bandied about include: Chicago, Florida, Philadelphia, Houston, and Washington DC. That's in addition to places around Utah, of course. As soon as we get fixed dates and details, I will post them. Please remember that if you are in a place where I will NOT be signing, you can always order a signed and personalized copy of any of my books through The King's English in Salt Lake City. They are wonderful, and they will be happy to help you!
Second: Lots of people have been telling me how much they loved PRINCESS OF THE SILVER WOODS, and I thank them for their very kind words! It's a great book, if I do say so myself! So please remember to show it some love! But then they want to know when the next princess book is coming out . . . and, um . . . there isn't one. They all live happily ever after! The end. (Sorry! But a twelve book series just isn't my style.)
Third: TUESDAYS IN THE CASTLE is nominated for a Beehive Book Award. HOORAY! So all you Utah peeps, head over to the library and vote for Celie and Castle Glower!
Fourth: This fall SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW will be released with a brand new cover! I have seen this cover, and behold, it is beautiful! It's by the same artist who did the Princess covers, and I screamed and jumped up and down when I saw it. As soon as it gets finalized with titles and pretty shiny things, I will be sure to post it. It will only be available as a paperback, both beautiful AND affordable!
Fifth: In February of 2014, the DRAGON SLIPPERS trilogy will be released with new covers as well! The new covers are by David Hohn, the fantastic talent behind the Castle Glower covers. I've seen some of the sketches, and I actually burst into tears. Tears. Burst. Into. No shame. The new DRAGON SLIPPERS cover, even as a pencil sketch, is . . . is . . . Okay, I love Peter Ferguson's original painting for the DS hardcover. I bought it, it's hanging in my house, I love it. He also does the Sisters Grimm books, and he's wonderful. But seeing the sketch for the new cover reminded me of what it was like to be writing that book, eight years ago, and I wept. I can't wait to show you these covers, guys. Shardas lives!
Sixth: I am planning not one, but several giveaways in the next few months, so be warned. The best, easiest way for me to do a giveaway is through Facebook. Make sure that you have liked my author page, please! I usually ask for likes or comments as entries into the contests. If you don't have a FB account, get someone you love to check my page for you!
Seventh: If you want to see my crazypants to-read shelf (currently clocking in at 321 books) and my reading challenge over on Goodreads, make sure and friend me over there! I love Goodreads, because I'm one of those nuts who loves lists anyway. I am trying to read 160 books this year, and I've currently read 26! I'm about to finish the awesomely twisty thriller MIND GAMES by Kiersten White, and next up will be TIMELESS by Gail Carriger! Love me some good books!
And now, to eat some chocolate! Farewell!
I like movies. Almost as much as books. This year has been delightful in that both Boy and Baby Girl are old enough to sit through movies in the theater, and Baby Roo was tiny enough to just lie there as well, so I was able to catch almost every movie I wanted to see. No, I did not take my children to see The Dark Knight Rises. That's what babysitters are for. But I was able to take the kids to see things Mirror Mirror, and The Lorax and Brave. (We ended up going to Brave three times, actually.)
The Oscars are next week, and as usual I haven't seen most of the main Oscar nominees, and also as usual . . . I don't really care. I'm going to the movies for personal enjoyment, not so I can watch Helen Hunt try to score more awards. (Not that she isn't a fine actress. But I have no interest in the movie she's nominated for.) I would like to see Lincoln, and The Impossible, though. And The Queen of Versailles. I'm going to be catching them on DVD soon, I'm sure.
And allow me to also recommend (for the PG-13 eligible crowd) Warm Bodies, which was a fantastic riff on Romeo and Juliet. I really loved that movie! So much fun!
But now, without further ado, here are my top ten grown up film favorites that I saw in 2012:
1.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2.
Skyfall
3. Silver Linings Playbook
4.
The Dark Knight Rises
5.
Argo
6.
The Avengers
7.
Les Miserables
8.
The Hunger Games
9.
John Carter
10. The Amazing Spider-Man
And the movies for the younger set:
1.
Brave
2.
Wreck-It Ralph
3.
Rise of the Guardians
4.
Hotel Transylvania
5.
The Lorax
6.
Mirror Mirror
7.
Finding Nemo in 3D
8.
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
9.
ParaNorman
Now before anyone gets upset: I love Finding Nemo. I really, really do. But I've also seen Finding Nemo roughly 4,000 times. So seeing it in the theater had less of an impact on me than seeing say, The Lorax for the first time, where I laughed so hard my face hurt during the "river rescue" scene. And please also remember: some of Auntie Jessica's favorite grown up films are rated R. Please view responsibly.
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