Friday Fifteen

November 22, 20131 Comment

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s going to be a busy weekend for me, so let’s get things started with a few book reviews in fifteen words or fewer.

1. Where Fish Go In Winter by Amy Goldman Koss
Loved this intro science Q&A book as a kid. Spoiler alert: fish are under the ice.

2. Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Not sure the Never-Want-to-Go-to-Bedders would have caved that quickly.

3. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
The series should have ended here; stakes felt highest. (Haha, stakes.)

4. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight trans. by Simon Armitage
Read this and kept thinking “‘It’s just a flesh wound!”

5. Lyra’s Oxford by Philip Pullman
Mini-sequel to His Dark Materials doesn’t quite hold its own, but loved seeing Lyra again.

Friday Fifteen

November 1, 20134 Comments

Happy November, everyone! What better way to start the month off than with a few book reviews in fifteen words or fewer?

1. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
A fun read in companion with Harry Potter 7. “The Tale of the Three Brothers” especially feels like a real folktale.

2. Both Sides Of Time by Caroline B. Cooney
Romance and time travel in Victorian New York. Reread this a lot as a kid.

3. The Sunnydale High Yearbook by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
Season 3 was the best, and I was totally the target audience.

4. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
Can see why it was so influential, but never connected to Stephen Dedalus.

5. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford
In a world where red-striped shirts rule, one man stands alone…in a huge crowd.

Links Galore

September 18, 2013Leave a comment

Lots of good links for today:

Shakespeare as a financially successful writer.
Also, totally geeking out over this video on how Shakespeare’s plays would have sounded. Guys, there are Shakespearean puns I didn’t even know existed!
You can find Dickens in the club.
Standing up for YA romance.
Sharks can’t swim backwards other random things we’ve learned from books.
Taking risks and writing outside of your cultural comfort zone.
Great post on the problem of gendered reading.
Beautiful gift from a librarian who recently passed away.
As a major fan of fun nail polish, these literary manicures have my approval.
In case you need a recap of The Raven Boys in preparation for The Dream Thieves.
Free samples of the National Book Award Young People’s Literature long list, aka all the things to add to my to-read list.
Dos and don’ts for a query bio.
I am all for more roller derby books.
Rainbow Rowell on censorship and Eleanor & Park.
The author travel survival guide.

What’s in a Name?

September 17, 20134 Comments

I love this list of beloved literary characters who were almost named something else. I can’t imagine the brightest witch of her age being called “Hermione Puckle.”

When I first started The Chance You Won’t Return, main character Alexandra “Alex” Winchester was almost called Winnie. As in Winnie Cooper or Winnie Foster. Both of which are characters that live in a historical setting.

Not exactly what I was looking for in my contemporary YA novel.

I can’t remember how I settled on Alex, exactly, but that was what she became almost immediately after I decided I needed to change her name. It felt like her–casual, kind of sporty, someone who’s used to blending in while still being a thoughtful observer.

I settled on Winchester pretty quickly, too. The story’s set in a fictional small town in Virginia and, while driving down for my second year at UVa, my car broke down in Winchester, VA. It felt like a little high five to a town that got me on the road again.

Do your character names tend to evolve over time, or do they spring to mind fully named?

(image: multisanti)

Friday Fifteen

September 6, 2013Leave a comment

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s starting to feel like fall, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Other things I’m happy about? Book reviews in fifteen words or less. Onto the reviews!

1. Three Junes by Julia Glass
Clear, elegant prose. The second June, from Fenno’s POV, stayed with me most.

2. Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Quiet, lovely writing. Expected something different, but would like to reread.

3. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Beatrice and Benedict might be Shakespeare’s best couple. “Another Hero!” line is a clunker.

4. Felicity Learns a Lesson (American Girls: Felicity #2) by Valerie Tripp
I still think about Felicity when I say no to more coffee/tea.

5. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
The costs of urbanization as only Burton can tell it. Great illustrations, of course.

Friday Fifteen

August 23, 2013Leave a comment

Man, did I need Friday. Let’s celebrate with a few fifteen-word (or fewer) book reviews:

1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Now I know what everyone’s been raving about for the last year. Read it now.

2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Wasn’t a read-aloud in our house; what stands out for me is the color palette.

3. A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
I watched a few episodes of The Tudors and recognized characters because of this play.

4. All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen and Jory John
I should read this aloud to houseplants as a warning.

5. Claudia and the New Girl (The Baby-sitters Club, #12 by Ann M. Martin
I learned about Andrew Wyeth from this book. Well played, Martin.

Links Galore

July 26, 20132 Comments

A few links to round out the week:

In case you’re still looking to flesh out your summer reading list.
Jane Austen is so money.
Love the Books on the Underground project. (via Book Riot)
Rapunzel Syndrome sounds way less creepy than it actually is.
I bet the letters of Roald Dahl are fascinating.
Lots of useful online resources for writers.
What to say when people tell you YA is automatically less thoughtful or well-written than adult literature.
Surprised not to see The Fault in Our Stars on this list of book titles taken from Shakespeare.
You’re never too old for fairy tales and their adaptations.

Friday Fifteen

July 19, 20131 Comment

Happy Friday from Savannah! To kick of a Southern retreat weekend, let’s check out some fifteen-word (or fewer) reviews of Southern stories.

1. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Touching story about the isolation we all feel; loved reading it with ASL studies.

2. Sounder by William H. Armstrong
Early into the book, the dog gets shot. Things go downhill from there. Sad stuff.

3. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
I remember the act of reading this and the cover well, just not the story.

4. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Depression-era black family confronts racism; not as crushing as Sounder. School scenes stuck with me.

5. Georgia Music by Helen V. Griffith
Girl visits grandfather, they bond over “Georgia music.” Next summer he has dementia, I cry.

Don’t Hate Boo Radley, Hate the Game

July 8, 20132 Comments

In college, my friend a professor whom we all described as the filmmaker version of Shaft. He was a dedicated teacher, a bold and thoughtful filmmaker, and his syllabus included the phrase “Get ya asses to class.” Needless to say, his students loved him.

Thug Notes has a similar approach to the canon of English literature. Sparky Sweets, PhD recaps the plot of classic novels and dives into the major themes of the books. For example, his take on To Kill a Mockingbird:

Even cooler? In the Youtube comments, people are clamoring for Sweets to tackle other works of English literature. Most badass way to get people involved in literature ever.

(via Book Riot)

Links Galore

July 1, 2013Leave a comment

Lots of great links to start your week:

“You should put THIS in your book!” and other things not to say to YA authors.
Great post by Libba Bray on the despair of writing or, as I like to call it “BURN IT ALL, EVERYTHING SUCKS.”
A little history on the paperback.
Ellen Oh and Tanita Davis have excellent posts up about the sad state of diversity in children’s books (both in terms of authors/illustrators and characters). More posts on this important issue at bookshelves of doom.
Also at bookshelves of doom, kickbutt YA heroines without a major romantic plotline; make sure to check out the comments for all the great suggestions.
I would fully support a Dalloway Day.
New favorite Tumblr: Actual Teen vs. Adult Teen. (Because Dawson’s Creek gave me unrealistic expectations about how high school guys look.)
Interesting look at what makes a great speech and how that’s changed (or hasn’t) over time.
Roundtable on the strange, compelling story of The Little Mermaid.
English majors know how to analyze and communicate. So many jobs can benefit from those skills.
I love seeing original bad reviews for classic novels.
How to use secondary characters and make them feel as real as your main characters.
Going to keep this post in mind when people ask “Your book still isn’t out yet?“
Love the idea of a ReReadathon! It’s been a while since I read Harry Potter…
These childhood drawings by famous authors are adorable. (My childhood drawings would feature a lot of rainbows, unicorns, and people without necks.)
Now that it’s a classroom staple, it’s funny to see the initial horrified response to Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
Bad spelling doesn’t make you a bad writer–just ask these beloved authors.
Like dystopian societies, internet memes, rice, and being prepared for the end of the world? Of course you do! Then you should donate to two awesome shoes–Paper City Phoenix by Walt McGough and The Burden of Not Having a Tail by Carrie Barrett. Both shows are going up this summer and I can’t wait to see them.

Annie Cardi

Tag: classics

Friday Fifteen

Friday Fifteen

Links Galore

What’s in a Name?

Friday Fifteen

Friday Fifteen

Links Galore

Friday Fifteen

Don’t Hate Boo Radley, Hate the Game

Links Galore