Jessica Day George's Blog
May 17, 2012
I know that I don't really talk about my family much on ye blog- okay, I probably complain about them a lot, but I don't really address them as people as much as I should. So today I thought I'd take a moment to talk about my husband. You see, fifteen years ago today, I married a man named Douglas.
"Wait a minute," you say. "I thought your husband was named Webmaster Mikey!"
You are not wrong. But if you were hoping for some juicy story about how I left that cad Douglas and rode off on a white horse with Webmaster Mikey . . . well, let me explain. The officiator at our wedding thought his name was Douglas. Just when I started to panic, worried that our marriage would not be valid, my dad leaned over and corrected the man. And lo, I married Webmaster Mikey all good and proper. We got married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, and it was a beautiful day: the sun was shining, flowers were blooming, our family was all there. As I look out at this blustery day, I realize how lucky we were to have good weather that day. Also family, since now my in-laws are scattered across the country. Plus, I looked really good in the pictures and we ate cake (and later hamburgers, thanks to my sister's husband who kindly does not hate us for getting married on his birthday).
And then we moved into our tiny, dank basement studio apartment, and real life began.
And I fully began to appreciate Webmaster Mikey.
You see, I am the princess. I am the youngest child of my parents. I am my mommy's little sweetheart.
I'm spoiled.
(There, I admit it.)
My parents put money in my checking account every week until the day before I got married. They continued to pay my college tuition even after I got married. I knew how to cook and clean and speak German, but boy howdy did I not know the value of money. Or how to get a decent job. I will also probably be late to my own funeral.
Webmaster Mikey, on the other hand, is not spoiled. No, he is a gem. The boy knows how to work. He knows how to balance a checkbook. And he knows how to chivvy me out the door so that I can get me to the church on time, as the song says. (Not to mention the book signing, school program, and pretty much everything else.)
In the first year of our marriage I was hospitalized twice with life-threatening health problems, and probably saw the inside of the ER three to four times. I couldn't work for several months, in fact, I couldn't get off the couch. I had two serious bouts of depression (that I can recall) and one "freak out" (code for an anxiety attack) that led to me quitting my newly acquired job. Once I graduated from college, I needed time to write books, so I refused to take any full time job.
There's a reason why my first published book, DRAGON SLIPPERS, is dedicated to him.
Webmaster Mikey took all that in stride. He cooks and cleans. He works like a dog at jobs that really aren't all that fun, to support me in the manner to which I have always been accustomed. He changes light bulbs, furnace filters, and diapers, wears spit-up covered shirts, then launders said shirts along with all the other dirty clothes. I once spent a year doing nothing but working on a novel (which was so crappy that it will never see the light of day), while he worked two jobs to support us. People who found out I was just at home all day would ask how many kids we had, and he'd say proudly, "None, but Jessica's writing a book." "Has she gotten published?" "No, but she will soon."
That.
Right there. Did you catch that?
More important than the laundering and cooking and toilet scrubbing and the holding of hands in the ER while I am blasted full of antibiotics for yet another kidney infection is that right there, folks. From the moment we met, and I said I wanted to be a fantasy writer, he's believed me. And believed IN me. He has always known that I would be published one day, even when he had never read anything I'd written, and he's done everything humanly possible to make sure it happened. Supported me emotionally and financially, from day one, when things, frankly, seemed bleak.
And he continues to support me. He uses vacation days to babysit the kids while I visit schools. He's still our main source of income. He does 99.9% of our grocery shopping, with all the kids in tow, so that I can spend Saturday afternoons writing. True story: for the past three years, Webmaster Mikey has spent nearly every Saturday in a car full of whiny children, running every errand under the sun and then doing the week's grocery shopping to give me as much time as possible to write.
Marriage is hard, people. There are arguments, especially in the beginning, that feel like your world will end if you don't get your way. (And then later you realize that the whole issue was too stupid for words.) You're living with another person day after day after day. Their weird habits. And noises. And smells. Making that work takes a lot of energy, and I won't lie and say that the first few years of our marriage were fabulously sunny and filled with nothing but picnics and Eskimo kisses. I like to spend money on clothes. He likes having a savings account. We've both had to make compromises.
But at the end of the day, I enjoy relaxing on my MemoryFoam mattress, watching The Soup with my best friend. Who is awesome. And has probably made dinner, and certainly been in charge of putting the kids to bed.
And occasionally I like to reflect on how this man has put up with me for FIFTEEN YEARS!
All hail Webmaster Mikey!
"Wait a minute," you say. "I thought your husband was named Webmaster Mikey!"
You are not wrong. But if you were hoping for some juicy story about how I left that cad Douglas and rode off on a white horse with Webmaster Mikey . . . well, let me explain. The officiator at our wedding thought his name was Douglas. Just when I started to panic, worried that our marriage would not be valid, my dad leaned over and corrected the man. And lo, I married Webmaster Mikey all good and proper. We got married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, and it was a beautiful day: the sun was shining, flowers were blooming, our family was all there. As I look out at this blustery day, I realize how lucky we were to have good weather that day. Also family, since now my in-laws are scattered across the country. Plus, I looked really good in the pictures and we ate cake (and later hamburgers, thanks to my sister's husband who kindly does not hate us for getting married on his birthday).
And then we moved into our tiny, dank basement studio apartment, and real life began.
And I fully began to appreciate Webmaster Mikey.
You see, I am the princess. I am the youngest child of my parents. I am my mommy's little sweetheart.
I'm spoiled.
(There, I admit it.)
My parents put money in my checking account every week until the day before I got married. They continued to pay my college tuition even after I got married. I knew how to cook and clean and speak German, but boy howdy did I not know the value of money. Or how to get a decent job. I will also probably be late to my own funeral.
Webmaster Mikey, on the other hand, is not spoiled. No, he is a gem. The boy knows how to work. He knows how to balance a checkbook. And he knows how to chivvy me out the door so that I can get me to the church on time, as the song says. (Not to mention the book signing, school program, and pretty much everything else.)
In the first year of our marriage I was hospitalized twice with life-threatening health problems, and probably saw the inside of the ER three to four times. I couldn't work for several months, in fact, I couldn't get off the couch. I had two serious bouts of depression (that I can recall) and one "freak out" (code for an anxiety attack) that led to me quitting my newly acquired job. Once I graduated from college, I needed time to write books, so I refused to take any full time job.
There's a reason why my first published book, DRAGON SLIPPERS, is dedicated to him.
Webmaster Mikey took all that in stride. He cooks and cleans. He works like a dog at jobs that really aren't all that fun, to support me in the manner to which I have always been accustomed. He changes light bulbs, furnace filters, and diapers, wears spit-up covered shirts, then launders said shirts along with all the other dirty clothes. I once spent a year doing nothing but working on a novel (which was so crappy that it will never see the light of day), while he worked two jobs to support us. People who found out I was just at home all day would ask how many kids we had, and he'd say proudly, "None, but Jessica's writing a book." "Has she gotten published?" "No, but she will soon."
That.
Right there. Did you catch that?
More important than the laundering and cooking and toilet scrubbing and the holding of hands in the ER while I am blasted full of antibiotics for yet another kidney infection is that right there, folks. From the moment we met, and I said I wanted to be a fantasy writer, he's believed me. And believed IN me. He has always known that I would be published one day, even when he had never read anything I'd written, and he's done everything humanly possible to make sure it happened. Supported me emotionally and financially, from day one, when things, frankly, seemed bleak.
And he continues to support me. He uses vacation days to babysit the kids while I visit schools. He's still our main source of income. He does 99.9% of our grocery shopping, with all the kids in tow, so that I can spend Saturday afternoons writing. True story: for the past three years, Webmaster Mikey has spent nearly every Saturday in a car full of whiny children, running every errand under the sun and then doing the week's grocery shopping to give me as much time as possible to write.
Marriage is hard, people. There are arguments, especially in the beginning, that feel like your world will end if you don't get your way. (And then later you realize that the whole issue was too stupid for words.) You're living with another person day after day after day. Their weird habits. And noises. And smells. Making that work takes a lot of energy, and I won't lie and say that the first few years of our marriage were fabulously sunny and filled with nothing but picnics and Eskimo kisses. I like to spend money on clothes. He likes having a savings account. We've both had to make compromises.
But at the end of the day, I enjoy relaxing on my MemoryFoam mattress, watching The Soup with my best friend. Who is awesome. And has probably made dinner, and certainly been in charge of putting the kids to bed.
And occasionally I like to reflect on how this man has put up with me for FIFTEEN YEARS!
All hail Webmaster Mikey!
March 13, 2012
So JOHN CARTER came out this last weekend, and apparently is not doing well at the box office. This saddens me. I love movies. You all know I love movies. I post lists of favorite movies on this very blog! I used to review movies on a website back in the early days of the interwebs. Heck, I'm even IN a movie. (No, seriously! I was an extra in the airport scenes of THE RM. Check it out!) And more importantly, I loved THIS movie, and hearing people bash it is making me le sad.
You can imagine my excitement at hearing about JOHN CARTER. It's based on A PRINCESS OF MARS, the first book in the Barsoom series by Edgard Rice Burroughs, who also wrote TARZAN. I have never read the Barsoom books, but c'mon, these books were written over a hundred years ago, about a Civil War veteran fighting giant aliens on Mars! What's not to love? Also, it was directed by Andrew Stanton (No, not the Andrew Stanton I went to high school with, the director of FINDING NEMO and WALL-E). The movie had a huge budget, a great cast, and every clip and trailer looked like enormous fun. In fact, the first trailer introduced me to the song "My Body Is A Cage" by Peter Gabriel, which I loved so much I bought the single.
My sister, who knows of my love for movies and my excitement for this one in particular, offered to babysit for us, despite the newness and screaminess of Baby Roo, and so Mike and I were able to go on Saturday. And see what was one of the Best. Movies. I've. Seen. In. Forever.
It was fun. It was funny. It was exciting. It was romantic. It was dramatic. It was, in short, everything you might want in a movie. I have no idea how long it was, but when it was over, I wanted to stay in my seat, clapping my hands and yelling, "Again! Again!" like a Teletubby.
There were no inappropriately sexual jokes. There was no scatological humor. The dialogue wasn't embarrassingly cheesy (a failing of many sci fi movies). The special effects were amazing, I never once saw something and thought, Green screen! In fact, both my husband and I admitted to having the sudden realization that the Tharks WEREN'T real . . . Tharks are ten feet tall, have four arms and tusks, and we fully believed in them. The acting was excellent, too, both voice and physical.
In fact, the acting was stellar. Look at the cast!
Willem Defoe. Samantha Morton. Thomas Haden Church. Dominic West. Mark Strong. James Purefoy. Ciaran Hinds. Taylor Kitsch is great as John Carter, and I loved Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars. LOVED her!
First off, she's a scientist and a fighter, not your typical damsel in distress. She also has a very nice body. Yeah, okay, that sounded weird. But I have a pet peeve with movies, especially lately. I have a little problem with people asking me to believe that Angelina Jolie, who looks frighteningly gaunt lately, can jump off a moving train and not snap like a brittle twig. Watching SALT I was cringing every time she did a stunt or got in a fight, she looked sickly and fragile. Lynn Collins has a shapely, healthy figure. She looked good in a bikini, but she also looked like she could swing that sword without falling over, and she totally did. She was tough without being masculine, intelligent without being portrayed as a nerd with no social skills. She was a REAL WOMAN.
Also, I totally want an eight-legged Martian dog. I just do, okay? Disney is really missing out on some marketing opportunities. If there were John Carter action figures, I would buy them all. And a plush Wolla. (I think that was the dog's name.) And some Dejah Thoris paper dolls. Where are my Happy Meal toys? I have a light up Jake Sully from AVATAR, and his six-legged blue horse. Where's my John Carter with glowing medallion, huh? HUH?
And here's the thing about this movie tanking, which Laini Taylor brought my attention to last week. She's started the hashtag #JohnCarterParty on Twitter, and has been encouraging people to see it. Not because she's a huge Barsoom fan, either, but because of what it represents. This is an intelligent, fun, big budget science fiction movie. If you want to see more movies like this, you need to show your support. More good sci fi and fantasy books can be adapted into good movies if Hollywood sees a profit. More good sci fi and fantasy movies can be made, period. Sure, there are some standouts in recent years like AVATAR or the new STAR TREK, but for every AVATAR, there's at least five MISSION TO MARS. (About about fifteen Adam Sandler movies. *shudder*)
If you need more convincing, allow me to sum it all up in this handy list:
Why You Should See JOHN CARTER:
1. Great cast, great acting.
2. A good story.
3. Great effects.
4. Excellent female role models. (Not just Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris, but also Samantha Morton as Sola the Thark maiden.)
5. Suitable for (nearly) the whole family, the violence was more science fictiony than gory/shocking, there was no sex, profanity, or poo!
6. (And most importantly) It will encourage Hollywood to make more fun sci fi/fantasy adventure movies!
You can imagine my excitement at hearing about JOHN CARTER. It's based on A PRINCESS OF MARS, the first book in the Barsoom series by Edgard Rice Burroughs, who also wrote TARZAN. I have never read the Barsoom books, but c'mon, these books were written over a hundred years ago, about a Civil War veteran fighting giant aliens on Mars! What's not to love? Also, it was directed by Andrew Stanton (No, not the Andrew Stanton I went to high school with, the director of FINDING NEMO and WALL-E). The movie had a huge budget, a great cast, and every clip and trailer looked like enormous fun. In fact, the first trailer introduced me to the song "My Body Is A Cage" by Peter Gabriel, which I loved so much I bought the single.
My sister, who knows of my love for movies and my excitement for this one in particular, offered to babysit for us, despite the newness and screaminess of Baby Roo, and so Mike and I were able to go on Saturday. And see what was one of the Best. Movies. I've. Seen. In. Forever.
It was fun. It was funny. It was exciting. It was romantic. It was dramatic. It was, in short, everything you might want in a movie. I have no idea how long it was, but when it was over, I wanted to stay in my seat, clapping my hands and yelling, "Again! Again!" like a Teletubby.
There were no inappropriately sexual jokes. There was no scatological humor. The dialogue wasn't embarrassingly cheesy (a failing of many sci fi movies). The special effects were amazing, I never once saw something and thought, Green screen! In fact, both my husband and I admitted to having the sudden realization that the Tharks WEREN'T real . . . Tharks are ten feet tall, have four arms and tusks, and we fully believed in them. The acting was excellent, too, both voice and physical.
In fact, the acting was stellar. Look at the cast!
Willem Defoe. Samantha Morton. Thomas Haden Church. Dominic West. Mark Strong. James Purefoy. Ciaran Hinds. Taylor Kitsch is great as John Carter, and I loved Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars. LOVED her!
First off, she's a scientist and a fighter, not your typical damsel in distress. She also has a very nice body. Yeah, okay, that sounded weird. But I have a pet peeve with movies, especially lately. I have a little problem with people asking me to believe that Angelina Jolie, who looks frighteningly gaunt lately, can jump off a moving train and not snap like a brittle twig. Watching SALT I was cringing every time she did a stunt or got in a fight, she looked sickly and fragile. Lynn Collins has a shapely, healthy figure. She looked good in a bikini, but she also looked like she could swing that sword without falling over, and she totally did. She was tough without being masculine, intelligent without being portrayed as a nerd with no social skills. She was a REAL WOMAN.
Also, I totally want an eight-legged Martian dog. I just do, okay? Disney is really missing out on some marketing opportunities. If there were John Carter action figures, I would buy them all. And a plush Wolla. (I think that was the dog's name.) And some Dejah Thoris paper dolls. Where are my Happy Meal toys? I have a light up Jake Sully from AVATAR, and his six-legged blue horse. Where's my John Carter with glowing medallion, huh? HUH?
And here's the thing about this movie tanking, which Laini Taylor brought my attention to last week. She's started the hashtag #JohnCarterParty on Twitter, and has been encouraging people to see it. Not because she's a huge Barsoom fan, either, but because of what it represents. This is an intelligent, fun, big budget science fiction movie. If you want to see more movies like this, you need to show your support. More good sci fi and fantasy books can be adapted into good movies if Hollywood sees a profit. More good sci fi and fantasy movies can be made, period. Sure, there are some standouts in recent years like AVATAR or the new STAR TREK, but for every AVATAR, there's at least five MISSION TO MARS. (About about fifteen Adam Sandler movies. *shudder*)
If you need more convincing, allow me to sum it all up in this handy list:
Why You Should See JOHN CARTER:
1. Great cast, great acting.
2. A good story.
3. Great effects.
4. Excellent female role models. (Not just Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris, but also Samantha Morton as Sola the Thark maiden.)
5. Suitable for (nearly) the whole family, the violence was more science fictiony than gory/shocking, there was no sex, profanity, or poo!
6. (And most importantly) It will encourage Hollywood to make more fun sci fi/fantasy adventure movies!
February 22, 2012
So, I was going to put up my best of the year lists, and then I totally had a baby and stuff. For the purposes of this blog, the baby shall be known as Baby Roo. ALL HAIL BABY ROO! We call him Baby Roo because, at 6 lbs. 2 ozs. he was the smallest of my three children, and when we brought him home from the hospital even newborn clothes were so big that he looked like a handkerchief with knots tied at the corners, much like the illustrations of Roo in the Winnie-the-Pooh books.
Baby Roo got off to a bit of a rough start. The delivery went well, but about fifteen minutes later he stopped breathing. It turned out he had an infection in his lungs, and he ended up staying in the Special Care Nursery for ten days with oxygen masks and antibiotics and such. I was staying on at the hospital to be near him when I suddenly collapsed a few days later, with the same infection, which turned out to be Strep A. Strep A is not what you have when you have strep throat, Strep A is also known as the Flesh-Eating Bacteria, it's horrible and deadly. Roo and I were lucky to be in an excellent hospital (What up, LDS Hospital?! You rock!), and were able to get immediate care. We both made full recoveries and are doing well, though Roo cannot go out and about and potentially have germs breathed on him, and he is still very small.
And that, gentle readers, is our story.
Enough about sick babies, I say! It is now time for the books, and the talking of books thereof and whatnot! For behold, while I was in the hospital, I did indeed make a list of my favorite books from 2011. Now, remember, not all these books were published in 2011. Some were older, one or two were ARCs of books that are just available now. But I read them in 2011, and so they are on the list!
BEHOLD, I SAY! The list of my favorite books from 2011!
(And, incidentally, after maybe 1 or 2 on each list, they're not really in any particular order. I'm being a bit lazy this year.)
PICTURE BOOKS
1. THE CHRISTMAS MAGIC by Lauren Thompson and John J. Muth
2. A BALL FOR DAISY by Chris Raschka (This year's Caldecott Winner, announced on the day Baby Roo was born, no less!)
3. THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O. Henry and P. J. Lynch (It's Lynch's beautiful illustrations that make this story magical for me.)
4. OUTSIDE OVER THERE by Maurice Sendak (The basis for LABYRINTH!)
5. PIG KAHUNA by Jennifer Sattler
6. BLOOM! A LITTLE BOOK ABOUT FINDING LOVE by Maria van Lieshout
7. SLIDE ALREADY! by Kit Allen
8. HIGHER! HIGHER! by Leslie Patricelli (Really, any of her books. My three-year-old cannot get enough of them!)
9. SONG OF THE STARS: A CHRISTMAS STORY by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Allison Jay
MIDDLE GRADE
1. A MILLION MILES FROM BOSTON by Karen Day (No relation to me, just an absolutely superb writer!)
2. A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS by Megan Whalen Turner (The Attolia books just get better and better, she's amazing!)
3. THE ADVENTURES OF NANNY PIGGINS by R.A. Spratt and Dan Santat
4. THE GIGGLER TREATMENT by Roddy Doyle (I disapprove of "poo jokes" usually, but this was hysterically funny.)
5. ICEFALL by Matthew J. Kirby (It's got vikings!)
6. LIESL AND PO by Lauren Oliver
7. WONDERSTRUCK by Brian Selznick
8. ENCHANTED GLASS by Diana Wynne Jones
9. THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA by Tom Angleberger
10. HAZZARDOUS UNIVERSE by Julie Wright and Kevin Wasden (Not just saying this because they're my friends: this book is awesome.)
11. A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness
12. LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld (Okay, so it's supposed to be YA. That's why I'm putting it at the bottom by the YA books . . . An avid middle grade reader could handle this book. They would love this book. This book is awesome.)
YOUNG ADULT
1. HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Sara Zarr (This really is my favorite YA book of last year. So beautiful, so heart-breaking!)
2. DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor
3. IF I STAY/WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman (You must, must read them both!)
4. DARKNESS FALLS by Cate Tiernan
5. FALLEN GRACE by Mary Hooper
6. WINTER TOWN by Stephen Emond
7. WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan
8. BOY 21 by Matthew Quick (So odd, so wonderful, so different from what I expected.)
9. ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE by Gabrielle Zevin
10. DRINK, SLAY, LOVE by Sarah Beth Durst
11. SHUT OUT by Kody Keplinger
12. THE DEAD AND THE GONE/THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Again, you're going to have to read them both. Reading all three at one go wouldn't be remiss.)
(Yes, there are twelve favorite YA books. This is 2012, after all!)
NONFICTION
1. DOC by Mary Doria Russell (A fictionalized but historically accurate bio of Doc Holliday. You know you want to read it!)
2. THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot
3. UNFAMILIAR FISHES by Sarah Vowell
4. BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey
5. MENNONITE IN A LITTLE BLACK DRESS by Rhoda Janzen
6. CHOCOLATE: A BITTERSWEET SAGA OF DARK AND LIGHT by Mort Rosenblum (If you attempt to read this without chocolate near at hand, you will suffer. I'm warning you!)
7. YES MAN by Danny Wallace (A reread. Just so I could laugh until I cried yet again!)
8. CHOCOLATE NEVER FAILETH by Annette Lyon (An awesome cookbook for chocolate lovers, full of fun facts and anecdotes as well as great recipes.)
9. THE UNOFFICIAL HARRY POTTER COOKBOOK by Dinah Bucholz (If you're a Harry Potter fan, you must have this. If you're curious about British cooking, you must have this, too. Full of classic recipes, with references to the Harry Potter books as well as the history of the dishes in general (Did you know what gravy used to be made of?!)!
ADULT FICTION
1. THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (So good. So very, very good.)
2. AMERICAN GODS: The 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION by Neil Gaiman (So good. So very, very good.)
3. SHOGUN by James Clavell (I've seen bits of the miniseries. I've heard friends rave about it, while others couldn't make it through. BUT I MADE IT THROUGH, AND IT WAS AWESOME!)
4. HEARTLESS by Gail Carriger
5. THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG by Muriel Barbery
6. THE SILENT LAND by Graham Joyce
7. THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin (He better hurry the frak up with the sequel . . . )
8. I DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU by Dan Wells (I don't want to kill you either, Dan, but I do hate you just a little for writing the perfect ending to this trilogy.)
9. ROOM by Emma Donaghue
10. HARD MAGIC by Larry Correia (It's like Dashiell Hammett went nuts and started writing about telepaths!)
11. CHANGES by Jim Butcher
12. DANDELION WINE by Ray Bradbury/SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut (Okay, what's up with that? Well, this year I reread both of these for the first time since high school, and I have to say, they both got better with time, and I recommend you re/read them.)
Baby Roo got off to a bit of a rough start. The delivery went well, but about fifteen minutes later he stopped breathing. It turned out he had an infection in his lungs, and he ended up staying in the Special Care Nursery for ten days with oxygen masks and antibiotics and such. I was staying on at the hospital to be near him when I suddenly collapsed a few days later, with the same infection, which turned out to be Strep A. Strep A is not what you have when you have strep throat, Strep A is also known as the Flesh-Eating Bacteria, it's horrible and deadly. Roo and I were lucky to be in an excellent hospital (What up, LDS Hospital?! You rock!), and were able to get immediate care. We both made full recoveries and are doing well, though Roo cannot go out and about and potentially have germs breathed on him, and he is still very small.
And that, gentle readers, is our story.
Enough about sick babies, I say! It is now time for the books, and the talking of books thereof and whatnot! For behold, while I was in the hospital, I did indeed make a list of my favorite books from 2011. Now, remember, not all these books were published in 2011. Some were older, one or two were ARCs of books that are just available now. But I read them in 2011, and so they are on the list!
BEHOLD, I SAY! The list of my favorite books from 2011!
(And, incidentally, after maybe 1 or 2 on each list, they're not really in any particular order. I'm being a bit lazy this year.)
PICTURE BOOKS
1. THE CHRISTMAS MAGIC by Lauren Thompson and John J. Muth
2. A BALL FOR DAISY by Chris Raschka (This year's Caldecott Winner, announced on the day Baby Roo was born, no less!)
3. THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O. Henry and P. J. Lynch (It's Lynch's beautiful illustrations that make this story magical for me.)
4. OUTSIDE OVER THERE by Maurice Sendak (The basis for LABYRINTH!)
5. PIG KAHUNA by Jennifer Sattler
6. BLOOM! A LITTLE BOOK ABOUT FINDING LOVE by Maria van Lieshout
7. SLIDE ALREADY! by Kit Allen
8. HIGHER! HIGHER! by Leslie Patricelli (Really, any of her books. My three-year-old cannot get enough of them!)
9. SONG OF THE STARS: A CHRISTMAS STORY by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Allison Jay
MIDDLE GRADE
1. A MILLION MILES FROM BOSTON by Karen Day (No relation to me, just an absolutely superb writer!)
2. A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS by Megan Whalen Turner (The Attolia books just get better and better, she's amazing!)
3. THE ADVENTURES OF NANNY PIGGINS by R.A. Spratt and Dan Santat
4. THE GIGGLER TREATMENT by Roddy Doyle (I disapprove of "poo jokes" usually, but this was hysterically funny.)
5. ICEFALL by Matthew J. Kirby (It's got vikings!)
6. LIESL AND PO by Lauren Oliver
7. WONDERSTRUCK by Brian Selznick
8. ENCHANTED GLASS by Diana Wynne Jones
9. THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA by Tom Angleberger
10. HAZZARDOUS UNIVERSE by Julie Wright and Kevin Wasden (Not just saying this because they're my friends: this book is awesome.)
11. A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness
12. LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld (Okay, so it's supposed to be YA. That's why I'm putting it at the bottom by the YA books . . . An avid middle grade reader could handle this book. They would love this book. This book is awesome.)
YOUNG ADULT
1. HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Sara Zarr (This really is my favorite YA book of last year. So beautiful, so heart-breaking!)
2. DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor
3. IF I STAY/WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman (You must, must read them both!)
4. DARKNESS FALLS by Cate Tiernan
5. FALLEN GRACE by Mary Hooper
6. WINTER TOWN by Stephen Emond
7. WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan
8. BOY 21 by Matthew Quick (So odd, so wonderful, so different from what I expected.)
9. ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE by Gabrielle Zevin
10. DRINK, SLAY, LOVE by Sarah Beth Durst
11. SHUT OUT by Kody Keplinger
12. THE DEAD AND THE GONE/THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Again, you're going to have to read them both. Reading all three at one go wouldn't be remiss.)
(Yes, there are twelve favorite YA books. This is 2012, after all!)
NONFICTION
1. DOC by Mary Doria Russell (A fictionalized but historically accurate bio of Doc Holliday. You know you want to read it!)
2. THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot
3. UNFAMILIAR FISHES by Sarah Vowell
4. BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey
5. MENNONITE IN A LITTLE BLACK DRESS by Rhoda Janzen
6. CHOCOLATE: A BITTERSWEET SAGA OF DARK AND LIGHT by Mort Rosenblum (If you attempt to read this without chocolate near at hand, you will suffer. I'm warning you!)
7. YES MAN by Danny Wallace (A reread. Just so I could laugh until I cried yet again!)
8. CHOCOLATE NEVER FAILETH by Annette Lyon (An awesome cookbook for chocolate lovers, full of fun facts and anecdotes as well as great recipes.)
9. THE UNOFFICIAL HARRY POTTER COOKBOOK by Dinah Bucholz (If you're a Harry Potter fan, you must have this. If you're curious about British cooking, you must have this, too. Full of classic recipes, with references to the Harry Potter books as well as the history of the dishes in general (Did you know what gravy used to be made of?!)!
ADULT FICTION
1. THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (So good. So very, very good.)
2. AMERICAN GODS: The 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION by Neil Gaiman (So good. So very, very good.)
3. SHOGUN by James Clavell (I've seen bits of the miniseries. I've heard friends rave about it, while others couldn't make it through. BUT I MADE IT THROUGH, AND IT WAS AWESOME!)
4. HEARTLESS by Gail Carriger
5. THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG by Muriel Barbery
6. THE SILENT LAND by Graham Joyce
7. THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin (He better hurry the frak up with the sequel . . . )
8. I DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU by Dan Wells (I don't want to kill you either, Dan, but I do hate you just a little for writing the perfect ending to this trilogy.)
9. ROOM by Emma Donaghue
10. HARD MAGIC by Larry Correia (It's like Dashiell Hammett went nuts and started writing about telepaths!)
11. CHANGES by Jim Butcher
12. DANDELION WINE by Ray Bradbury/SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut (Okay, what's up with that? Well, this year I reread both of these for the first time since high school, and I have to say, they both got better with time, and I recommend you re/read them.)
January 5, 2012
Hello!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! I love December, and I also love the first part of January, when things are just getting back to normal . . . and yet not . . . because we're all busy getting set up for the new year!
I generally don't make hardcore resolutions, nothing that would be depressing or demoralizing if they fall through. That's generally not a good idea for someone who has depression to begin with, especially when you factor in that we're headed toward the bleak, cold, dark, awful time of year that affects many people anyway. But if you do, I salute you, because you are braver (and have better willpower) than I!
But this year I would like very much to:
Lose weight. (I know everybody says this, but I'm pretty sure I can do it, since a good 15 pounds or so don't belong to me, and will be "removed" by the end of the month . . .)
Have this baby. (I think I might start crying with joy on the day when I can put on my socks without panting and feeling lightheaded. Also, see above about the gratifying instant weight loss.)
Read a lot of books. (I currently have over 300 books on my To Read shelf over at Goodreads. I want to OWN that list this year. I know I can't read them all, but I would really like to be able to get that list below 200.)
Potty Train My Daughter. (I will pay good money if anyone wants to come and do this for me.)
See some movies. (Good stuff coming this year: The Hunger Games. The Avengers.)
And on that note, here are my Top 12 Grown Up Movies of 2011!
(For those of you who are new to the blog, I used to write movie reviews for a website my husband ran, before there was blogging, and I still like to weigh in on le cineme, if you will. Also, last year I did a Top 11 in honor of 2011, so I figure, why not a Top 12 for 2012? Also, I took my kids to a lot a movies this year, and thought I'd rank the kiddie faves separately.)
And now, for real, the list:
1. Jane Eyre
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
3. Super 8
4. Thor
5. X-Men: First Class
6. The Help
7. Crazy, Stupid, Love
8. Cowboys & Aliens
9. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
10. Captain America: The First Avenger
11. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
12. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
*Please note that not all of the above movies are suitable for all audiences.*
1. The Muppets
2. Cars 2
3. Winnie The Pooh
4. Arthur Christmas
5. Kung Fu Panda 2
6. Hugo
7. Hop
8. Gnomeo & Juliet
Coming soon: The Book Lists!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! I love December, and I also love the first part of January, when things are just getting back to normal . . . and yet not . . . because we're all busy getting set up for the new year!
I generally don't make hardcore resolutions, nothing that would be depressing or demoralizing if they fall through. That's generally not a good idea for someone who has depression to begin with, especially when you factor in that we're headed toward the bleak, cold, dark, awful time of year that affects many people anyway. But if you do, I salute you, because you are braver (and have better willpower) than I!
But this year I would like very much to:
Lose weight. (I know everybody says this, but I'm pretty sure I can do it, since a good 15 pounds or so don't belong to me, and will be "removed" by the end of the month . . .)
Have this baby. (I think I might start crying with joy on the day when I can put on my socks without panting and feeling lightheaded. Also, see above about the gratifying instant weight loss.)
Read a lot of books. (I currently have over 300 books on my To Read shelf over at Goodreads. I want to OWN that list this year. I know I can't read them all, but I would really like to be able to get that list below 200.)
Potty Train My Daughter. (I will pay good money if anyone wants to come and do this for me.)
See some movies. (Good stuff coming this year: The Hunger Games. The Avengers.)
And on that note, here are my Top 12 Grown Up Movies of 2011!
(For those of you who are new to the blog, I used to write movie reviews for a website my husband ran, before there was blogging, and I still like to weigh in on le cineme, if you will. Also, last year I did a Top 11 in honor of 2011, so I figure, why not a Top 12 for 2012? Also, I took my kids to a lot a movies this year, and thought I'd rank the kiddie faves separately.)
And now, for real, the list:
1. Jane Eyre
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
3. Super 8
4. Thor
5. X-Men: First Class
6. The Help
7. Crazy, Stupid, Love
8. Cowboys & Aliens
9. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
10. Captain America: The First Avenger
11. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
12. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
*Please note that not all of the above movies are suitable for all audiences.*
1. The Muppets
2. Cars 2
3. Winnie The Pooh
4. Arthur Christmas
5. Kung Fu Panda 2
6. Hugo
7. Hop
8. Gnomeo & Juliet
Coming soon: The Book Lists!
December 29, 2011
No. Not a baby.
The baby will be here soon, though, and we are in full "hunker down" mode. I have already been in a minor car accident (not my fault, thank you very much!) and fallen very hard in an icy parking lot. I refuse to leave my house again unless I am going to the hospital. So I asked for books for Christmas. Books upon books upon books!
And guess what? I GOT THEM!
I got wonderful books! Books that I am so excited to read! Books I have been waiting for!
Books like:
A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS
ALL CLEAR
A DANCE WITH DRAGONS
WELCOME TO BORDERTOWN
UNDERDOGS
TONGUES OF SERPENTS
MONSTER HUNTER ALPHA
THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIS BURDICK
I even have new graphic novels, like a new collection about Thor (or "Mommy's Boyfriend" as my husband has trained our son to say), and a new Schlock Mercenary, THE TERAPORT WARS.
So let's get out the hot chocolate, people, and prepare to hunker down, sip and read!
*AND NOW A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT*
Webmaster Mikey has once again discovered that the settings on the Contact Jessica page were changed, and no messages have come through! If you emailed me through the website in the last month, your message was lost in the webisphere (or whatever they call it these days). If you wish to re-email me, please do so! This will also explain why, if you are requesting an interview or some such thing, I appear to be ignoring you. Sorry about that! It's all fixed now!
The baby will be here soon, though, and we are in full "hunker down" mode. I have already been in a minor car accident (not my fault, thank you very much!) and fallen very hard in an icy parking lot. I refuse to leave my house again unless I am going to the hospital. So I asked for books for Christmas. Books upon books upon books!
And guess what? I GOT THEM!
I got wonderful books! Books that I am so excited to read! Books I have been waiting for!
Books like:
A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS
ALL CLEAR
A DANCE WITH DRAGONS
WELCOME TO BORDERTOWN
UNDERDOGS
TONGUES OF SERPENTS
MONSTER HUNTER ALPHA
THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIS BURDICK
I even have new graphic novels, like a new collection about Thor (or "Mommy's Boyfriend" as my husband has trained our son to say), and a new Schlock Mercenary, THE TERAPORT WARS.
So let's get out the hot chocolate, people, and prepare to hunker down, sip and read!
*AND NOW A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT*
Webmaster Mikey has once again discovered that the settings on the Contact Jessica page were changed, and no messages have come through! If you emailed me through the website in the last month, your message was lost in the webisphere (or whatever they call it these days). If you wish to re-email me, please do so! This will also explain why, if you are requesting an interview or some such thing, I appear to be ignoring you. Sorry about that! It's all fixed now!
December 1, 2011
CHRISTMAS!
I love Christmas! I love everything about Christmas! No joke: I even love going to the mall, despite the crowds. Because we're all there to buy presents for people we care about, so what's not to love, right?
But, as many of you know, I love Christmas books, too. And movies. And I love to recommend them. In fact, you cannot avoid my recommendations! So if you do not want these things recommended to you, just look away now!
Let's start with the movies, shall we? Wonderful movies, like-
Elf'
A Christmas Story
The Muppets' Christmas Carol
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians! (Mystery Science Theater 3000 edition, of course)
And I'm super excited to see the new movie, Arthur Christmas. Looks like fun!
And to read:
The Legend of Holly Claus, by Brittney Ryan
Let It Snow! by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Miracle and Other Christmas Stories, by Connie Willis
Miss Davenport's Christmas, by Marion Chesney (out of print, but a gem of a Regency romance!)
Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf, by Wendelin van Draanen
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, illustrated by P. J. Lynch
A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Chris Raschka
To look at AND read:
Llama Llama Holiday Drama, by Anna Dewdney
Olivia Helps With Christmas, by Ian Falconer
Merry Christmas, Splat! by Rob Scotton
Olive, the Other Reindeer, by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh
A Wish for Wings That Work, by Berkeley Breathed
Red Ranger Came Calling, by Berkeley Breathed
Santa Calls, by William Joyce
The Christmas Tapestry, by Patricia Polacco
The Polar Express, by Chris van Allsburg
Snowmen at Night, Snowmen at Christmas, by Mark and Caralyn Buehner
A Pirates' Night Before Christmas, by Philip Yates and Sebastia Serra
The Twelve Bots of Christmas, by Nathan Hale
The Christmas Magic, by Lauren Thompson and Jon J. Muth
Song of the Stars, by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Alison Jay
And to listen to:
The Barenaked Ladies: Barenaked for the Holidays
Annie Lennox: A Christmas Cornucopia
Sarah MacLachlan: Wintersong
David Sedaris: Six to Eight Black Men
Stewart McLean: Polly Anderson's Christmas Party
Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Any favorites of yours you'd like to suggest? Feel free to use the comments!
And have a great holiday season (if I don't blog again)!
I love Christmas! I love everything about Christmas! No joke: I even love going to the mall, despite the crowds. Because we're all there to buy presents for people we care about, so what's not to love, right?
But, as many of you know, I love Christmas books, too. And movies. And I love to recommend them. In fact, you cannot avoid my recommendations! So if you do not want these things recommended to you, just look away now!
Let's start with the movies, shall we? Wonderful movies, like-
Elf'
A Christmas Story
The Muppets' Christmas Carol
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians! (Mystery Science Theater 3000 edition, of course)
And I'm super excited to see the new movie, Arthur Christmas. Looks like fun!
And to read:
The Legend of Holly Claus, by Brittney Ryan
Let It Snow! by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Miracle and Other Christmas Stories, by Connie Willis
Miss Davenport's Christmas, by Marion Chesney (out of print, but a gem of a Regency romance!)
Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf, by Wendelin van Draanen
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, illustrated by P. J. Lynch
A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Chris Raschka
To look at AND read:
Llama Llama Holiday Drama, by Anna Dewdney
Olivia Helps With Christmas, by Ian Falconer
Merry Christmas, Splat! by Rob Scotton
Olive, the Other Reindeer, by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh
A Wish for Wings That Work, by Berkeley Breathed
Red Ranger Came Calling, by Berkeley Breathed
Santa Calls, by William Joyce
The Christmas Tapestry, by Patricia Polacco
The Polar Express, by Chris van Allsburg
Snowmen at Night, Snowmen at Christmas, by Mark and Caralyn Buehner
A Pirates' Night Before Christmas, by Philip Yates and Sebastia Serra
The Twelve Bots of Christmas, by Nathan Hale
The Christmas Magic, by Lauren Thompson and Jon J. Muth
Song of the Stars, by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Alison Jay
And to listen to:
The Barenaked Ladies: Barenaked for the Holidays
Annie Lennox: A Christmas Cornucopia
Sarah MacLachlan: Wintersong
David Sedaris: Six to Eight Black Men
Stewart McLean: Polly Anderson's Christmas Party
Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Any favorites of yours you'd like to suggest? Feel free to use the comments!
And have a great holiday season (if I don't blog again)!
November 13, 2011
TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE was launched into the world this last month! Huzzah! And it's doing very well, if rumors can be believed. . . Thanks to all of you who were able to come to my signings!
For those of you who weren't able to come, you can now order any of my books, signed and personalized, from The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City. They will ship them right to your door, signed, stamped, and bookmarked! For more information on that, go here: http://www.kingsenglish.com/localauth...
The other big news around here is that I am having baby number three in January. And it's a boy! Which is why you may have noticed fewer blogs, more ranting on Twitter, and why I have no signings scheduled after December . . .
This month is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. I keep getting asked if I'm participating, and the answer is: Well, EVERY month is NaNoWriMo around here! There's plenty of encouraging blog and information out there if you do a search, so I really have no wisdom to impart to any of you who are participating, other than to say Good Luck! And don't forget to revise AFTER November and BEFORE you send the novel out to an agent or editor.
And for those of you who weren't able to attend my signings, I now answer the two most Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What will your next book be?
It's PRINCESS OF THE SILVER WOODS, the third and final book about the Twelve Dancing Princesses of Westfalin. It will be out next fall.
2. Will there be a sequel to TUESDAYS?
Yep! I'm working on it right now. It will be out some time in 2013, and has no title yet.
So how's that for news?
And some good news for those of you in Idaho: Next week I will be in Rexburg and Idaho Falls. I'll be speaking and signing at the Madison County Library in Rexburg from 7-9 pm on November 17th, and signing at the Idaho Falls Barnes & Noble on November 18th in the evening (we're still settling on a time, either 4-6 or 5-7.)
For those of you who weren't able to come, you can now order any of my books, signed and personalized, from The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City. They will ship them right to your door, signed, stamped, and bookmarked! For more information on that, go here: http://www.kingsenglish.com/localauth...
The other big news around here is that I am having baby number three in January. And it's a boy! Which is why you may have noticed fewer blogs, more ranting on Twitter, and why I have no signings scheduled after December . . .
This month is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. I keep getting asked if I'm participating, and the answer is: Well, EVERY month is NaNoWriMo around here! There's plenty of encouraging blog and information out there if you do a search, so I really have no wisdom to impart to any of you who are participating, other than to say Good Luck! And don't forget to revise AFTER November and BEFORE you send the novel out to an agent or editor.
And for those of you who weren't able to attend my signings, I now answer the two most Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What will your next book be?
It's PRINCESS OF THE SILVER WOODS, the third and final book about the Twelve Dancing Princesses of Westfalin. It will be out next fall.
2. Will there be a sequel to TUESDAYS?
Yep! I'm working on it right now. It will be out some time in 2013, and has no title yet.
So how's that for news?
And some good news for those of you in Idaho: Next week I will be in Rexburg and Idaho Falls. I'll be speaking and signing at the Madison County Library in Rexburg from 7-9 pm on November 17th, and signing at the Idaho Falls Barnes & Noble on November 18th in the evening (we're still settling on a time, either 4-6 or 5-7.)
October 2, 2011
Hello!
Have you seen it? Did you notice?
There's a brand new look over here at Jessicadaygeorge.com! And it's all in honor of my brand new book, TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE!
TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE will be out officially on October 25th, but there will actually be two events prior to that where the book will be available. One will be my official launch party at The King's English in Salt Lake City. That will be on October 15th from 2-4 pm, and there will be cake and readings and a giveaway and all good things! The other will be the Fall Authorpalooza at the Orem, Utah, Barnes & Noble on October 22nd from 1-4 pm.
There are other events planned after the launch date, so please see the events page for more details!
Now I'm sure that this raises other questions, so let me answer a few right here:
TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE is the first book in a new series, and is a middle grade book about a young princess who lives in a magical castle. There will be at least three books about Princess Celie and her castle, and there is more information about this specific book on the book's page.
My next book will come out next fall (roughly) and is the third and FINAL book about the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It is entitled PRINCESS OF THE SILVER WOOD. It is Princess Petunia's story, and is based on Little Red Riding Hood.
That is all the news that's currently fit to print!
Have you seen it? Did you notice?
There's a brand new look over here at Jessicadaygeorge.com! And it's all in honor of my brand new book, TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE!
TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE will be out officially on October 25th, but there will actually be two events prior to that where the book will be available. One will be my official launch party at The King's English in Salt Lake City. That will be on October 15th from 2-4 pm, and there will be cake and readings and a giveaway and all good things! The other will be the Fall Authorpalooza at the Orem, Utah, Barnes & Noble on October 22nd from 1-4 pm.
There are other events planned after the launch date, so please see the events page for more details!
Now I'm sure that this raises other questions, so let me answer a few right here:
TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE is the first book in a new series, and is a middle grade book about a young princess who lives in a magical castle. There will be at least three books about Princess Celie and her castle, and there is more information about this specific book on the book's page.
My next book will come out next fall (roughly) and is the third and FINAL book about the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It is entitled PRINCESS OF THE SILVER WOOD. It is Princess Petunia's story, and is based on Little Red Riding Hood.
That is all the news that's currently fit to print!
September 8, 2011
So! I know you're all dying to know: Did I "kill" that double stack of books on the bedside table?
Well. Sort of.
There's still a double stack of books, it's just a lot shorter.
First I got some books from my publisher that made it a triple stack briefly. Then my sister loaned me a couple of books that she said I just had to read (MAGIC AND THE MODERN GIRL, THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, and HOURGLASS). A few things arrived via library hold . . .
Let's just see how I did, shall we? Keep in mind, I also read books aloud to my son at bedtime, and at one point my publisher just DEMANDED that I proof the galleys for TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE (they're funny that way, with the making me work and all).
How many did I actually read?
44! FORTY-FOUR books, people! That's not too shabby, eh? EH? Especially when you consider that I've also written 300 pages of a book of my own! (More on that later, it's PRINCESS #3 if you're trying ot keep track.)
So here's the list, in order:
OLD MAN'S WAR - John ScalziBOSSYPANTS - Tina FeySUPERMAN: EARTH ONE - J. Michael StraczynskiDIVERGENT - Veronica RothINSATIABLE - Meg CabotDRAGON SPEAR - Read aloud to Boy.TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE - The galley proofs. (SO GOOD!)SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD - Lindsey LeavittPARANORMALCY - Kiersten WhiteTHE PAPER ROSE CLUB - Jennifer Youngblood & Sandra PooleBEAUTY QUEENS - Libba BrayDANDELION WINE - Ray BradburyHOW TO SAVE A LIFE - Sara ZarrGUARDIANS OF THE HIDDEN SCEPTRE - Frank L. ColeWITHER - Lauren De StefanoTHE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE - Maureen JohnsonSHUT OUT - Kody KeplingerDAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE - Laini TaylorTHE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE - Alan BradleyA RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT - Madeleine L'EngleTHE HOBBIT - J. R. R. Tolkien (Yes, I've read this before, I read it aloud to my son.)HEARTLESS - Gail CarrigerENTWINED - Heather DixonABANDONED - Meg CabotWINTER TOWN - Stephen EmondTHE SHIRT ON HIS BACK - Barbara Hambly THE BLACKNESS BETWEEN - Howard TaylerMAGIC AND THE MODERN GIRL - Mindy KlaskyICEFALL - Matthew J. KirbyTHE A CIRCUIT - Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine HapkaHOURGLASS - Myra McEntireTHE SCRAPYARD OF INSUFFERABLE ARROGANCE - Howard TaylerBLOOD FEUD - Alyxandra HarveyHARD MAGIC - Larry CorreiaBOY 21 - Matthew QuickLIESL & PO - Lauren OliverTHE FULL CUPBOARD OF LIFE - Alexander McCall SmithTHE MALTESE FALCON - Dashiell HammettA BOY & HIS BOT - Daniel H. Wilson (Still in the middle of reading this aloud to Boy.)PRECIOUS DRAGON - Liz WilliamsFALLEN GRACE - Mary HooperHAUNTING VIOLET - Alyxandra HarveyTECHNOSAURS Vol. 1 - Kevin WasdenSERVANT OF A DARK GOD - John Brown (I'm actually still reading this, but it counts, right?)
And that's the round up! Some of these books were amazing. Some were so-so. A couple were crappy. I refuse to say which ones, though! HA HA HA HA HA! You'll just have to read them and find out for yourself!
I will say this: FALLEN GRACE was wonderful, and if you love historical fiction, you really should pick this up. If you are a fan of DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA YA SISTERHOOD, try THE PAPER ROSE CLUB, and if you haven't tried Gail Carriger's wonderful Parasol Protectorate yet, you really must. But don't start with HEARTLESS, it's book four. You'll have to go back to SOULLESS to really enjoy the series. (These are adult books, though. Consider yourself warned.)
And there it is! The big list! Feel free to leave your favorite summer read in the comments! As for fall, I think I'm going to just go with whatever moves me. I might do some rereading (MIKE NELSON'S DEATH RAT! and WAR OF THE FLOWERS have been calling my name of late...), I might ignore the 50 odd never before read books lurking around the house and go on a spree at the library. You never know!
Well. Sort of.
There's still a double stack of books, it's just a lot shorter.
First I got some books from my publisher that made it a triple stack briefly. Then my sister loaned me a couple of books that she said I just had to read (MAGIC AND THE MODERN GIRL, THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, and HOURGLASS). A few things arrived via library hold . . .
Let's just see how I did, shall we? Keep in mind, I also read books aloud to my son at bedtime, and at one point my publisher just DEMANDED that I proof the galleys for TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE (they're funny that way, with the making me work and all).
How many did I actually read?
44! FORTY-FOUR books, people! That's not too shabby, eh? EH? Especially when you consider that I've also written 300 pages of a book of my own! (More on that later, it's PRINCESS #3 if you're trying ot keep track.)
So here's the list, in order:
OLD MAN'S WAR - John ScalziBOSSYPANTS - Tina FeySUPERMAN: EARTH ONE - J. Michael StraczynskiDIVERGENT - Veronica RothINSATIABLE - Meg CabotDRAGON SPEAR - Read aloud to Boy.TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE - The galley proofs. (SO GOOD!)SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD - Lindsey LeavittPARANORMALCY - Kiersten WhiteTHE PAPER ROSE CLUB - Jennifer Youngblood & Sandra PooleBEAUTY QUEENS - Libba BrayDANDELION WINE - Ray BradburyHOW TO SAVE A LIFE - Sara ZarrGUARDIANS OF THE HIDDEN SCEPTRE - Frank L. ColeWITHER - Lauren De StefanoTHE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE - Maureen JohnsonSHUT OUT - Kody KeplingerDAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE - Laini TaylorTHE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE - Alan BradleyA RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT - Madeleine L'EngleTHE HOBBIT - J. R. R. Tolkien (Yes, I've read this before, I read it aloud to my son.)HEARTLESS - Gail CarrigerENTWINED - Heather DixonABANDONED - Meg CabotWINTER TOWN - Stephen EmondTHE SHIRT ON HIS BACK - Barbara Hambly THE BLACKNESS BETWEEN - Howard TaylerMAGIC AND THE MODERN GIRL - Mindy KlaskyICEFALL - Matthew J. KirbyTHE A CIRCUIT - Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine HapkaHOURGLASS - Myra McEntireTHE SCRAPYARD OF INSUFFERABLE ARROGANCE - Howard TaylerBLOOD FEUD - Alyxandra HarveyHARD MAGIC - Larry CorreiaBOY 21 - Matthew QuickLIESL & PO - Lauren OliverTHE FULL CUPBOARD OF LIFE - Alexander McCall SmithTHE MALTESE FALCON - Dashiell HammettA BOY & HIS BOT - Daniel H. Wilson (Still in the middle of reading this aloud to Boy.)PRECIOUS DRAGON - Liz WilliamsFALLEN GRACE - Mary HooperHAUNTING VIOLET - Alyxandra HarveyTECHNOSAURS Vol. 1 - Kevin WasdenSERVANT OF A DARK GOD - John Brown (I'm actually still reading this, but it counts, right?)
And that's the round up! Some of these books were amazing. Some were so-so. A couple were crappy. I refuse to say which ones, though! HA HA HA HA HA! You'll just have to read them and find out for yourself!
I will say this: FALLEN GRACE was wonderful, and if you love historical fiction, you really should pick this up. If you are a fan of DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA YA SISTERHOOD, try THE PAPER ROSE CLUB, and if you haven't tried Gail Carriger's wonderful Parasol Protectorate yet, you really must. But don't start with HEARTLESS, it's book four. You'll have to go back to SOULLESS to really enjoy the series. (These are adult books, though. Consider yourself warned.)
And there it is! The big list! Feel free to leave your favorite summer read in the comments! As for fall, I think I'm going to just go with whatever moves me. I might do some rereading (MIKE NELSON'S DEATH RAT! and WAR OF THE FLOWERS have been calling my name of late...), I might ignore the 50 odd never before read books lurking around the house and go on a spree at the library. You never know!
August 7, 2011
I'm never one to toot my own horn, but HONKITY HONK HONK, people!
PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT won the Beehive Award! WHOOPEE!
The Beehive Award is essentially the People's Choice Award for the state of Utah. Librarians pick the finalists, and then for a year readers have a chance to vote at public and school libraries. Each state has a similar award- Check yours out!
And so, while I am shamelessly flaunting my own awesomeness, in other award news: SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW has been nominated for next year's Maud Hart Lovelace Award, the Minnesota state award. So, readers of Minnesota, beginning in the fall you have a chance to vote for SUN AND MOON! I find this terribly exciting, because as many of you know, SUN AND MOON is kinda my baby, and I love it when it gets attention. But also, let's think about it: Minnesota was pretty much settled by Norwegians . . . so could there be a BETTER book for them to nominate?!
(No!)
And also . . .
PRINCESS OF GLASS is a finalist for the Utah Book Award! It's up against two very fine books, however, but at least I get to go to the fun ceremony in October! (The other books are PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White, and FORBIDDEN SEA by Sheila A. Nielsen.)
But now, some other news!
My awesome PR person over at Bloomsbury is helping me set up some book signing dates for TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE. The first one, the big launch, is finalized. I will be having a party at The King's English on October 15th from 2-4 pm. There will be refreshments, and readings, and prizes, and all sorts of goodies, so save the date! And more signings will follow, so make sure to keep an eye on the calendar on my website.
Big things, much excitement! But first I must return to work on PRINCESS OF THE SOMETHING SOMETHING NUMBER THREE!
PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT won the Beehive Award! WHOOPEE!
The Beehive Award is essentially the People's Choice Award for the state of Utah. Librarians pick the finalists, and then for a year readers have a chance to vote at public and school libraries. Each state has a similar award- Check yours out!
And so, while I am shamelessly flaunting my own awesomeness, in other award news: SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW has been nominated for next year's Maud Hart Lovelace Award, the Minnesota state award. So, readers of Minnesota, beginning in the fall you have a chance to vote for SUN AND MOON! I find this terribly exciting, because as many of you know, SUN AND MOON is kinda my baby, and I love it when it gets attention. But also, let's think about it: Minnesota was pretty much settled by Norwegians . . . so could there be a BETTER book for them to nominate?!
(No!)
And also . . .
PRINCESS OF GLASS is a finalist for the Utah Book Award! It's up against two very fine books, however, but at least I get to go to the fun ceremony in October! (The other books are PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White, and FORBIDDEN SEA by Sheila A. Nielsen.)
But now, some other news!
My awesome PR person over at Bloomsbury is helping me set up some book signing dates for TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE. The first one, the big launch, is finalized. I will be having a party at The King's English on October 15th from 2-4 pm. There will be refreshments, and readings, and prizes, and all sorts of goodies, so save the date! And more signings will follow, so make sure to keep an eye on the calendar on my website.
Big things, much excitement! But first I must return to work on PRINCESS OF THE SOMETHING SOMETHING NUMBER THREE!
