Debbie Ridpath Ohi's Blog, page 43
June 28, 2016
June 27, 2016
#BookADay: BEWARE THAT GIRL by Teresa Toten (Doubleday Canada)
Just came back from the cottage. If you are looking for a GREAT summer read (and esp if you enjoyed GONE GIRL or WE WERE LIARS), I *strongly* encourage you to get a copy of psychological thriller BEWARE THAT GIRL by Teresa Toten (Doubleday Canada). Don't start reading it at night, because you will be up waaaaayy too late. Love the dark edge and unpredictability (you THINK you know the implication of the title...), the mystery within mystery, the satisfying conclusion. For teen and above.
The "Staff Pick" sticker is from Mabel's Fables, where I bought the book.
Didn't want to post the synopsis here in case others prefer diving in blind (like me), but if you want to know a bit more plus read the rave review quotes, see the Beware That Girl page on Teresa Toten's site.
Photo: Ruth Ohi.
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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts.
It's never too late to start: William Steig didn't start writing until he was 61
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William Steig didn't start writing kids' books 'til age 61, went on to write 30+. More proof that it’s never too late to start.
Sources:
William Steig biography, via Norman Rockwell Museum Illustration History
William Steig biography, via Macmillan website
Wikipedia entry on William Steig
June 21, 2016
RUBY ROSE book launches today! Plus some giveaways, free bookplates and dancing in the street
Woohoo, RUBY ROSE, OFF TO SCHOOL SHE GOES! dances into the world today!!!
Ruby Rose loves to dance while she's brushing her teeth, eating breakfast, and even on her way to class. But there's NO DANCING at school! Or...is there? With a little luck and a lot of rhythm, Ruby Rose finds a way to get everyone up on their dancing feet. A perfect back-to-school book for budding dancers!
Look! I drew author Rob Sanders in one of the illustrations for RUB ROSE, OFF TO SCHOOL SHE GOES.
I had so much fun illustrating this story by Rob Sanders for HarperCollins Children's Books. Also so grateful to all the other people involved in helping create this book, including: Maria Modugno, Martha Rago, Margaret Anastas and Jeanne Hogle. You can find out more about the making of the book in How Ruby Rose Was Created, A Guide For Young Readers. Also feel free to download the free Ruby Rose, Off To School She Goes Teacher's Guide by Marcie Colleen for students in preschool through 3rd grade.
If you buy the book from an indie bookstore by June 27th, I'll mail you a free signed/doodled RUBY ROSE bookplate and fun stickers! Details here, but summary: after you've bought the book, let me know (use this contact form and choose "Other", include your email) and I'll ask you for a photo or scan of the receipt plus ask you details about the bookplate.
A week ago, I invited my Facebook followers to help me put together a "Never miss a chance to DANCE!" playlist in celebration of my upcoming launch. I asked people to suggest ONE song that makes them want to dance or just makes them happy. Congrats to John Durno, who wins a copy of the book! I'll be giving away another copy at the end of today as well as some Ruby Rose hand-drawn doodles: just post *your* song suggestion in the comments below *or* on my FB post, and I'll choose five random commenters to win prizes. Edited: Note that you do NOT have to be on Facebook to participate. Just post a comment below. :-)
Here's the "Never Miss A Chance To DANCE!" playlist so far:
My choice: HOCKEY MONKEY performed by Ookla The Mok:
Ruby Rose author Rob Sanders's choice:
From Teresa Robeson:
From Emily Wayne:
From Allison Durno:
From Joey Shoji:
From John Durno:
From Suzanne Kaufman:
From BJ Mattson:
From Trisha Speed Shaskan:
From Kathy Ellen Davis:
From Jenn Hubbs:
From Catherine MacDonald:
From Barry and Lee Gold: The Graviportal Polka" by Dr. Jane Robinson.
Thanks to all who volunteered their happydancemusic! Feel free to post yours below.
June 20, 2016
#BookADay: THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH by Martha Brockenbrough
Holy cow, did I love THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH by Martha Brockenbrough (Arthur Levin Books, 2015). I found myself slowing down my reading about 3/4 way through because I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END. And I was inspired to do some fan art (see image). The romance was so original and genuinely moving. Love the premise and also the twist on the usual character portrayal of Love and Death. This is definitely going on my "books I look forward to rereading many times" shelf.
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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts.
How I'm Finding Ways To Read More Books This Summer
One of the reasons I love Donalyn Miller's Annual Summer #BookADay Challenge is because it always forces me to reevaluate my reading habits. I love to read but sometimes I find that reading gets put on the back burner more often while other activities take priority. Sometimes these activities, especially family-related and work-related, NEED to take priority, but I find there are still ways to find more time to read. I'm sharing these here in case one or more might help others.
1. I have multiple print books on the go, and keep them around the house. I usually have print books that I'm in the midst of reading in our bedroom, my office, living room, dining room, both bathrooms. Print books have the advantage over ebooks here in that just SEEING them reminds me to read them.
2. I read books on my iPhone. Yes, the screen is small but I enlarge the text to make reading comfortable. This is super-handy for reading when I may only have a few minutes, like when I'm in a line-up or waiting for someone. Or when I'm in a super-crowded subway train and am holding onto a support pole with one hand....but I can easily reach into my purse, pull out my iPhone and flip through pages with my other hand.
3. I read books on my iPad. I have an iPad Pro and find it a bit too heavy to hold for reading unless it's propped up somehow, but I find that using a pillow or my knees works fine. I prefer print books for the esthetic experience (turning print pages, feel of of a physical book etc.) but I do find that the backlit screen on my iPad enables me to read even in places with dim lighting. Some are ebooks I've bought, some are borrowed from the Toronto Public Library.
4. I read books on my Kindle. Because the Kindle is lightweight and loaded up with a lot of my ebooks, I can avoid angsting over what book to take on out-of-town trips ("I'm 3/4 of way through this book so if I finish it on the plane, what do I read next? Should I bring an extra just in case? But I'm trying to travel with just carry-on augh" etc.), I just take my Kindle and I have access to many books-on-the-go.
5. I listen to audiobooks. I remember avoiding audiobooks in the beginning because I never considered it REAL reading, plus I didn't think I could really enjoy a book by just listening to it. Then my husband played an audiobook (I can't remember the title...something about divers and scavenging in deep waters) on a long car trip and I was surprised to find it an immersive reading experience. The narration is important, though -- a bad narrator will totally turn me off a book, so I make it a habit of always listening to a sample first. I have an Audible subscription but I also borrow audiobooks from the Toronto Public Library. Whenever I'm at certain stages in book illustration, I listening to audiobooks as I draw.
SUMMARY:
As long as the story is good, I am willing to read it in any format. I do make a point of buying books from indie bookstores but I have found that my appetite for reading makes it impractical (from a budget standpoint) to buy all my reading material. The Toronto Public Library is a wonderful resource, with print and ebook and audiobooks available.
Also, I squeeze in reading whenever I can. While I'd love to save my reading stints for when I have an entire afternoon to curl up on the couch with a good book, reality is that if I always waited for The Perfect Reading Day, I wouldn't be reading nearly as many books as I do now.
Do you have any other tips for finding more time to read? Feel free to share below.
June 18, 2016
June 17, 2016
Comic: Writers On Vacation
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This comic wasn't, um, inspired by my own experience. Nope, not one bit.
