Caroline Bock's Blog: Caroline Anna Bock Writes, page 19

NPR REVIEW - plus THE CITY and coming Home

Driving up the BQE (Brooklyn Queen Expressway) last night from Bay Ridge, just out of Park Slope, feeling so NYC --  Brooklyn Bridge ahead, going east toward the L.I.E.  (Long Island Expressway).  Thank you Pam and Lyn for the opportunity to read with you at Perch, what an amazing experience.  Won't be home home till past 1 a.m. too late, even for me, feeling beat, found this review by Joan Baum, arts critic extraordinaire, NPR  (National Public Radio).  Calls LIE a 'knock out' in a three minute radio review.  Before this: Feel the lights and the sharp, gas-fumed air, and the drill of construction and the sound of cars with radios too loud, like mine, trying to stay awake,  calling out to the east, where the sun will rise, hours from now., almost home, open the windows, ice-cold, almost home, past is present, present, past, I don't know which, I've drunk two glasses of wine and worked all day and then read at this reading with over 75 people there, read LIE, even though the words were blurry, from the work and the wine.  At home:   WSHU -- no more acronyms, only the call of home, of finally coming home, and the review for LIE.    Listen to the review, listen now.  I'm tired now. But the review is GREAT.

Come Toast Three Amazing Women Writers! Thursday, December 1st at 7:30 pm at Perch Cafe in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Come toast three amazing women writers -- a reading with Di Iorio, Laskin and Bock (me!) at Perch Cafe in Park Slope, Brooklyn (365 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY) on Thursday, December 1st at 7:30-10:00  pm.  Lyn Di Iorio has written this amazing debut novel -- a mystery -- Outside the Bones -- I'm just reading it now, and don't want to put it down!!  Pam Laskin is reading from Visitation Rites, her touching young adult novel about a girl and her mentally ill mother -- so moving, and set in Brooklyn!!  And I'm, of course, reading from LIE, my debut young adult novel. Join us -- Pam is providing the wine!  They'll be treats!  It's all free!  Plus, three moving, inspiring readings!  Thursday, December 1st at Perch Cafe in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  

Starting My Year End 2011 List With.... the Saddest and Happiest Movies of the Year

This weekend I've already seen the saddest movie of 2011 and the happiest, so it's time to begin that end of year list.Saddest Movie of 2011: The Descendents  --especially seeing George Clooney cry over his dying wife. Happiest Movie of 2011: The Muppets Movie -- Singing!  Dancing! Kermit and Miss Piggy and the gang back together again! You can guess my vote for best young adult novel debut!! What's on your end-of-year list?

Thanksgiving 2011 Ten Things To Be Truly Grateful For By The Author of LIEo

Truthfully, ten things I am grateful for on Thanksgiving 2011, from the author of LIE (St. Martin's Press, yes, you must read it now, right after turkey dinner).
-Grateful for first graders in turkey hats
-Grateful for sixth graders who seem to grow overnight into young men
-Grateful for brothers and sister who will always be part of my past, present and future: Mark, Susan and David, always in that order, one year apart
-For my father, for his courage and strength, and my mother, may she be resting in peace, she is always in my heart.  For my in-laws (yes, I have the most wonderful ones)!!
-For the friends -- who have stayed with me for so many years, and the new friends in the book club!! 
-For the students who question me in class, for the ones who are quiet but listening, for the ones who show up even though they are working full-time jobs 
-For my agent, Rachel, and editor, Sara,  who believed in LIE, and the readers, among them the most wonderful librarians in the world, who have found my book thought-provoking
-For the time to write.  I thank my husband (I thank him, once in a while for other things too:)!  For the ability to write, I thank a higher spirit --  and great teachers
-For this great country of ours.  How glad I am that my grandparents had the courage to leave Russia and Poland and Sicily and travel here as young people in search of a better life  
-For America's poets -- Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes -- two of my favorites, who sing of America, of a land big enough and great enough for everyone.
 
 Happy Thanksgiving Day All!!   Caroline

Goodreads giveaway -1 copy only - deadline November 22

One signed first edition of LIE is available now on goodreads giveaway page.  Deadline is November 22 -- yes, anniversary of the day JFK was shot, and my birthday!!  I don't remember the shooting, (I can luckily say I'm too young), but that's how my father remembers my birthday.  Is there something odd there, or metaphorical, the linking of death and life?  Is it my birthday, or just Sunday night blues, with the Giants and Eagles scoreless in the first quarter, making me feel melancholy and literary? Anyway, go to goodreads and enter, (or just get a copy anyway you can:), go Giants, and Happy Thanksgiving day all!!   

2011 YEAR END and LIE... a word from the publicist at St. Martin's Press....

I have the best publicist at St. Martin's Press for LIE!   Jessica sent this out... pass it along...!! 

With the end of the year quickly approaching I wanted to make sure that you keep LIE by Caroline Bock in mind for your year-end 'Best of Young Adult' list.
This critically acclaimed YA title has received FOUR starred reviews from Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Booklist!!
*Kirkus: "Realistic and devastatingly insightful, this novel can serve as a springboard to classroom and family discussions. Unusual and important."*Library Journal: "Bock's debut will grip readers searching for complete realism in their fiction."*PW: "Avoiding peachiness, Bock handles the novel's multiple viewpoints exceptionally well, rotating among the painfully believable voices of high school students and adults."*Booklist: "Suspenseful and thought-provoking, this is a compellingly readable novel with a challenging theme and memorable characterizations."
Based on actual events in Long Island, New York, LIE is a harrowing story about a tight-knit town torn apart by a vicious hate crime.  LIE was inspired by the murder of Marcelo Lucero, a news story that dominated headlines a few years ago and appeared on the front page of The New York Times.
I do hope you include LIE in your publication's year-end 'Best of Young Adult' list. Please contact me with any questions.
Best,JessicaSt. Martin's Press Publicity

EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS -- INCLUDING LIE --seclected for the 2012 Texas State High School Reading Listsa!!

Hello, Texas!!!  Received the best email today from the Lone Star State.   LIE has been selected for the 2012 Tayshas High School Reading list!   Curious about the entire list: http://www.txla.org/groups/tayshas.

"SUSPENSEFUL and thought-provoking..." for LIE in new starred review, plus Wimpy Kid in the house

Tonight ran out to bookstore, a real bookstore, at 8 pm, in the rain.  I had to buy son, age 11, a copy of new Wimpy Kid to add to his collection.  I was so happy he wanted to read, had to read it today, the first day it was out (though I forgot to buy it earlier) that I was okay running out to buy it.  He came with me and started reading it before we left the store.  Oh, to be eleven and in love with a book, the crisp feel of new pages, the devouring of words, a new friend and an old one at the same time. 

At the bookstore,  they also had a several copies of LIE in the teen section, and I'll admit it, I just happened to pick them up and move to them to the front under 'bestsellers' for young people -- because it is selling well, thank you very much!!  New starred review out officially today from Booklist, one of those important publishing trade mags.  Here's an excerpt from the review: "Suspenseful
and thought-provoking, this is a compellingly readable novel with a challenging theme and memorable
characterizations. A terrific choice to spark discussion and debate."  

2nd Printing for LIE!!

I should have shared this yesterday but I was too incensed about world events -- from the Oscars to Penn State to the euro -- but here's good news -- LIE is going into its second printing, which means that if you want a first edition of LIE, you must find it, order it, now.  Will it be worth something someday, who knows?  I'm not JK Rowling by any means, but still it sometimes nice to say:  I own a first edition.  And to all the family and friends and strangers from the Internet space out there who bought out the first printing -- thank you, thank you, thank you!!  But if you haven't bought a copy, and you want a beautifully produced trade paperback in its first edition, order yours now.     

Billy Crystal/Eddie Murphy/80s rock/NCTE conference

Billy Crystal in/Eddie Murphy out of Oscars equals Italy/Greece in or out of the euroequals Rick Perry unable to remember what third
government agency he wants to close.  Then, sayingthe 'wrong one.'   EPA/Energy.  They both start with EsPerry makes GW Bush look smart, or maybe Texas A&M does not equal Yaleand an ivy league does matter?Joe Paterno out/me thinking it's the Catholic Churchall over again (priests/coaches molesting boys).  The Bishopthinking only of the next football game.My father chewing on about pumpkin patches(we had one on our front lawn growing up, butthen we were the strange family on our block).
Everything seems of equalimportance these days, which can't be
good. I want to go into my car and blast80s rock* and forget about it all.
But I'm not allowed to do that anymore, am I?
*(My love runs cold, my memory has just been sold...) 
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Take a look at the banner that's going up at the NCTE (National Council Teachers of English) conference next week!!   And yes, buy LIE.  Inn fact good news today: Novel is going to a second edition, so if you want to own a 'first edition,' you must get a copy now.  Have a great conference any English teachers out there at NCTE!