Links Galore
May 21, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Links help us through Tuesday:
- Forget book-shaming.
- Even though last week I had to stop hating Amy, I can still get on board with loathing some of these characters who are not technically villains but are still hate-worthy.
- How booksellers plan their inventory, aka returns are my new nightmare.
- Sad to lose Bernard Waber; I remember being seven, reading Ira Sleeps Over and thinking “Yes, that’s just what it’s like.”
- How to survive BEA. (Hint: comfy shoes are key!)
- And if you’re in tired of the BEA events, SLJ has some suggestions for more general New York fun.
- I want to see a yarn bomb!
- Virginia Woolf sounds pretty much like I thought she would, which makes me unreasonably happy.
- Thoughtful response to Maureen Johnson’s call for cover flips.
- Guys. You can bid for first editions of novels with personal annotations from their authors. Like JK Rowling. GUYS.
Links Galore
May 15, 2013 § 1 Comment
A few fun links for today:
- An excellent post on why we shouldn’t hate Amy March. (I know. I didn’t believe it could be possible to not hate Amy.)
- Fellow classic lit fan Stephanie rereads The Great Gatsby and notes how awesome the prose is.
- I’m kind of relieved that even awesomely-titled novels once had horrible original titles. Titles ain’t easy!
- Journals weren’t always so private.
- Are you up for the 48 Hour Book Challenge? I’ve never done it before and am tempted.
Links Galore
May 10, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Lots of cool links this week:
- Love the idea for the Young Authors Give Back tour.
- Hipster Shakespeare and other historical figures re-imagined as contemporary figures.
- An Arrested Development-Great Gatsby mashup is the best thing ever.
- Also the best thing ever: Maureen Johnson’s call for book cover gender-flips.
- Celebrate National Short Story Month by submitting to Flavorwire’s short fiction contest.
- Great piece by Erika Dreifus on being a Jewish writer vs. writing Jewish fiction.
- I need to keep these suggestions for preparing for author interviews and Q&As on file.
- Attention teen wrtiers and storytellers! NPR wants to hear your stories.
- This genre reveal party idea is hilarious, but I do kind of want cake for real now.
- Pretty sure I need this tote.
- Obviously I like books featuring mother-child relationships.
Links Galore
April 29, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Got a case of the Mondays? These links will help you power through:
- I still want to run away to the Met. I could have learned a lot from the experience.
- I totally had/have some of these 90s book covers.
- Reason #221 why children’s books rock: read-alouds stay with the whole family.
- Need some inspiration for your novel opening? Check out these awesome opening lines from YA favorites.
- I love the “take on a persona” tip for readings.
- This Workshop-to-English translation is far too accurate.
- Let’s face it–we all want to be a flaneur.
- What’s the best and worst writing advice you’ve ever received?
- We’re all responsible for bringing more diversity to YA.
- No matter what the movie is like, I’m already digging the Gatsby soundtrack.
Links Galore
April 17, 2013 § 5 Comments
A few links for today:
- I wonder how many pounds are equivalent to a galleon: estimating the cost of Hogwarts.
- Cthulu does exist. Sort of.
- I need about a dozen cats so I can give them all literary pet names.
- March madness continues into April with Poetry Madness.
- Stephanie rounds up the most beautiful bookshelf inspiration. Can I live in all of these homes?
- I couldn’t be a member of a book club with so many rules, but I’m kind of sad to see this one go.
- I’m going to hang onto “whom” as long as possible.
- Maggie Stiefvater tells it like it is about publishing.
Links Galore
April 3, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Lots of good links today.
- More evidence that teen years mater: study finds that teens who establish positive peer connections do better later on.
- Fascinating article on Louise Fitzhugh and the relationship between clothing and sexuality in Harriet the Spy.
- Not too surprised to see To Kill a Mockingbird voted as the Great American Novel.
- Still unsure about this whole Goodreads/Amazon thing.
- The Doctor: Literary Hero. (My favorite has to be his encounter with Agatha Christie.)
- A list of fictional characters who would make terrible boyfriends in real life. I’d add Maxim de Winter and the Wizard Howl. (I know, I love Howl as a character, too, but he got super lucky with Sophie.)
- William Shakespeare: grain hoarder!
- Your agent doesn’t need to be a social media “rock star.” They have to be a kick-ass agent for you and your book.
- My haiku-loving heart digs these unintentional poetry from the New York Times. (H/Y Elizabeth Brenner)
- When I’m an eccentric billionaire, I’m going to do a world tour inspired by children’s books.
- “Those leaves are totally foxed!” and other book anatomy terms.
- Are you an urban fantasy fan, or do you prefer alternate worlds? The Hub looks at the different categories of fantasy.
- Be an activist for library and early literacy resources!
Links Galore
March 27, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Lots of good links to get you through the middle of hte week:
- I’d like to add “nonplussed” to this list of words that don’t sound like what they mean.
- You can vote on the cover of Elizabeth Gilbert’s next book.
- The Princess Bride and Cyrano de Bergerac? Yeah, I totally read like a Hufflepuff.
- No surprise that librarians make excellent writers.
- I am really distraught that the Lizzie Bennet Diaries is almost over, but it’s not over until we celebrate on Thursday! And I am SO happy to know they’ll live on via Kickstarter.
- Not sure if Hemingway’s Instagram would be epic (bull fights! exotic locations!) or embarrassing (fishing? drunkface selfies?).
- I’m not sure whether I should be laughing or crying.
- Interesting (but, sadly, not entirely surprising) look at the correlation between heteronormativity and popularity in school.
- East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop? I want to see Chicago Manual of Style vs. The Elements of Style rap battle.
- Need the coffee shop ambiance without having to fight for an outlet? Try Coffivity. (via the Official SCBWI Blog)
- Fellow 2014 debut author Natalie C. Parker talks about what kind of critiques there are and what makes a good critique partner (with Firefly gifs!!!)
- Usually I begrudge celebrity authors, but Sonia Manzano (aka Sesame Street’s Maria) has, you know, some experience with children’s education and development.
- The Horn Book looks at what makes a good YA coming-out novel. My favorite part: “Coming-out stories don’t unfold in a vacuum, and nor do teens’ own lives. The best books integrate queer teens’ coming-of-age stories into the rich and varied spectrum of human experience.”
Links Galore
March 6, 2013 § 2 Comments
Apparently I’ve been hoarding lots of great links. Anything to make it through a Wednesday!
- An interesting article on how writing can be “taught” and fostered through writing programs.
- Author Patricia MacLachlan and illustrator Steven Kellogg are teaming up to write a book for children about Sandy Hook. Hopefully this will be a great resources for parents and educators to help kids deal with this terrifying situation.
- Ghost writing the Sweet Valley High books; writers gotta pay the bills.
- Wish you could have taken a class with your favorite writer? Scan the syllabi and pretend it’s the first day.
- Proofread like a pro.
- Brookline Booksmith has some great reading suggestions to get rid of the late-winter blahs.
- Somehow a literary Oxford tour seems incomplete without a reference to His Dark Materials, even if Lyra’s Oxford is in an alternate universe.
- On pen names and having a “writerly-sounding” name. I’m just glad that when you Google my name, I’m the one that comes up. (Me and cardigans, that is.)
- Attention current high school seniors! Enter Penguin’s essay contest and win money for college.
- Another awesome bookish March madness competition–Paper Lantern Lit’s Swoon Madness!
- On Gilmore Girls, pop culture and high art existed side-by-side for the main characters. Which is pretty much how it is in real life.
- Shannon Hale on girl characters and why they don’t have to just be love interests.
- VIDA compares the last three years of female writer representation in major journals and newspapers. Spoiler alert: it ain’t good.
- Cool recap of a readers advisory training for librarians working with children and teens
- A behind-the-scenes look at the book acquisitions process
- .
Links Galore
February 26, 2013 § Leave a Comment
A few links for today:
- Superellipsis…now….please. And other punctuation marks we wished we had.
- Some of these classic novels told through emojis are really hard to guess but make total sense when you see the answer.
- Somehow this list of the scariest books ever written does not include What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
- It can feel frustrating, but agents have reasons for not explaining their rejections.
- And yet someone didn’t pass on these books. Not even a title change, guys?
- Fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite books. The Hub has some great suggestions that straddle that line between YA and adult readers.
- Response to stress: taking deep breaths and looking at these beautiful bookstore/library photos.
- Why are owls so popular in children’s lit? Just look at ‘em!
Links Galore
February 19, 2013 § 1 Comment
A few fun (library love-heavy) links for today:
- Have libraries had their day? No way!
- Famous writers agree that libraries rock.
- Still not convinced? Here’s a giant list of things kids will miss without a school librarian.
- The good, the bad, and the ugly in Pride and Prejudice covers.
- Excellent post on writing from the transgender perspective–would love to see more books on this list.
- I want to print out this post by fellow 2014 debut author Michelle Krys and hand it to anyone who says, “Your book isn’t out yet?”
