Annie Cardi's Blog, page 46

Update #2: 48 Hour Book Challenge

A little reading this morning, followed by brunch (you need coffee and biscuits for a book challenge, right?), followed by more reading. I managed to finish the second of the books I was in the middle of. Onto the stats!

Update #2

1.5 hours reading time (4.5 hours total)
136 pages read (501 pages total)
0 cups tea consumed (2 cups total)

The Books

Review #2: I had already been about two-thirds of the way through Tell the Wolves I’m Home when I picked it up again for #48HBC. It was one of this year’s Alex Award winners, and I can see why–June’s a rich and compelling narrator, who’s navigating adulthood in the middle of losing her favorite person in the world, her uncle Finn. I remember feeling a lot like June at that age, as she feels like part of her is slipping away when she has a harder time pretending she’s in the middle ages. I was also really impressed by the character of Greta, her sister, whom I expected to just be the kind of obnoxious, wordly older sister. Instead, Greta is a complex character who desperately wants to connect with her younger sister and doesn’t quite know how. Overall, an excellent look at love and grief and jealousy and reconciliation. It’s beautifully written and quiet, which is the kind of book I’m drawn toward.

Readers, Start Your Engines: the 48 Hour Book Challenge Starting Line

Okay, so I should have written this post a few hours ago, but joining the 48 Hour Book Challenge was kind of a last minute decision and I wanted to dive in. I’ve seen the event online for the last couple of years but other activities always got in the way. But not this year!

Start time: July 7, 8:30pm

Update #1:

3 hours total reading time
365 total pages read
2 cups of tea consumed

The Books

Review #1: I started with The Moon and More because it’s my most recent purchase and I was hooked when I started in line at Sarah Dessen’s reading. Lots of great stuff in this one. I think Dessen handles the various relationships really well, and touches on a lot of the complicated emotions leading up to college. Emaline is a likable and relatable narrator, and the minor characters shine. I especially liked that Emaline’s family situation is a little complicated; their relationships felt very genuine. One minor issue–I didn’t quite understand how Ivy could afford the most expensive beachfront rental property, especially when shooting on location. Even major award-wining documentary filmmakers aren’t exactly rolling in it. (But that’s probably just because I used to be a film department front-desker.) Overall I think this is a must-read for Dessen fans and anyone looking for a summer beach book with a lot of heart and honesty.

Friday Fifteen

Anyone else feel like they’ve had about ten days in this week? Glad it’s finally Friday and time for the Friday Fifteen:

1. Lon Po Po by Ed Young
The wolf comes to visit in this gorgeous, creepy take on Red Riding Hood.

2. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
I think it’s supposed to be funny. Might have read it too young.

3. Samantha Saves the Day (American Girls: Samantha #4) by Valerie Tripp
I continue to want to spend the summer in Piney Point wearing nautically-themed outfits.

4. Richard III by William Shakespeare
At 16 I wrote a malevolent character with a hunchback, thought I was sooooo clever.

5. Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block
Reread this collection a lot in high school. “Dragons in Manhattan” was probably my favorite.

The Moon and More in MA: a Reading with Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen and me!

Everyone has their suggestions for summer reading, but for my money, you can’t do much better than a Sarah Dessen novel. Most of her books are set during the summer, several of them in beach towns. (Basically, if you can’t actually escape to the beach for the summer, you might as well read about it.) But that doesn’t mean that her books are light, fluffy reading. Sure, there’s often fun and romance, but Dessen balances that out with family drama, struggles with friends, grief, and insecurity–everything that touches real teens.

Last night, I had the opportunity to see Sarah Dessen read at the Morse Institute Library, hosted by Wellesley Books, which always has fantastic children’s/YA author events. Dessen read a little from her latest book, The Moon and More, answered some excellent audience questions (seriously, local readers, way to bring your best Q to the Q&A), and did a trivia contest with t-shirt prizes (way to know your Dessen, guys).

A few other fun points:

In talking about a favorite writing experience, Dessen mentioned that she feels like she can write her best when no one knows she writing. I can relate–outside of my critique group, I don’t talk a lot about the details of a particular project while I’m working on it.
One audience member asked Dessen what YA novel she wishes had been published when she was a teen. Dessen went with Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (such a powerful book).
Dessen liked my dress and “tar heel blue” nails.
At the bookstore table, you could pick up a CBY stickers to celebrate fictional beach town Colby. What a fun idea!
I was sitting next to one woman, who mentioned she was there to get a book signed for her daughter, who’d been reading Sarah Dessen’s books for years and was now 22. Love hearing about teens who grow up with these books.
I started to read The Moon and More in line, and actually gasped when I got to one part early on in the book. Totally hooked!

Thanks to Sarah Dessen for sharing her work with us, and thanks to Wellesley Books and the Morse Institute Library for hosting such a great event!

Fall for Summer Reading

Today in library awesomeness, the Seattle Public Library launches its summer reading program with the biggest book domino chain ever:

(via BookRiot)

Mark Your Calendars: Golden Boy Launch, June 27

Things I’m excited for now that it’s June: sandals, picnics, walks in the evening, and the book launch of Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan!

Tara is one of my critique group members, a fellow redheaded UVA grad, and an extremely talented writer with a deep interest in sharing international stories of courage and survival. Golden Boy is officially released on June 27 (less than a month away)! From the Goodreads summary:

“Thirteen-year-old Habo has always been different— light eyes, yellow hair and white skin. Not the good brown skin his family has and not the white skin of tourists…When the family is forced from their small Tanzanian village, and Habo knows he is to blame.

Seeking refuge in Mwanza, Habo and his family journey across the Serengeti…Suddenly, Habo has a new word for himself: Albino. But they hunt Albinos in Mwanza because Albino body parts are thought to bring good luck. And soon Habo is being hunted by a fearsome man with a machete. To survive, Habo must not only run but find a way to love and accept himself.”

Tara Sullivan–author extraordinaire!

Basically, it’s a book that everyone need to read. And I can personally vouch for the writing. My notes to Tara consisted largely of “OH MY GOSH!” and “HABO!”

And if you’re in the general Boston area and want to celebrate the launch of this book, make sure to come out to Porter Square Books on June 27, 7:00pm for the official launch event. Snag a copy of the book, eat tasty treats, and get to know your new favorite author.

Friday Fifteen

Can you guys believe it’s already the last Friday in May? Although I can’t say I’m too upset–I’m psyched to move into June and into full-on summer weather. Let’s start the weekend with a few fifteen-word (or fewer!) book reviews:

1. Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney

Jane finds her real family, acts like a brat to them. Pre-Weasley family of redheads.

2. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Fun memoir about a big family in early 1900s. TLC’s got nothing on the Gilbreths.

3. Brave Irene by William Steig

Irene battles winter to deliver a ball gown. Frequently read this on my own.

4. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Interesting look at pre- and post-colonial Nigeria, but more interested in Obierika than Okonkwo.

5. The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8) by Lemony Snicket

The VFD mystery heats up–and a reference to Clarissa Dalloway makes this one a winner.

Making Strides

Flashback to 1996. I’m in middle school, wear really unattractive khakis and clogs, and like to hide out in the library (and occasionally cry in the carrels because oh my lord, it’s middle school). I’ve never been an athletic kid and this year in gym class, a new horror is presented: I have to run the mile.

Me before the run.

Okay, it’s not just me–everyone in our class has to run 11 laps around the gym, which equals a mile. Some kids finish in no time at all. Others (cough me cough) are left grasping and struggling until the end of gym class, after which there’s barely any time to change  so I arrive at my next class sweaty and red-faced. I mentally curse all gym teachers, all athletes, and anyone who ever thought a mile was a reasonable distance to make a nerdy middle schooler run.

Flashforward to last weekend. I willingly wake up at 5am, head to downtown Boston in the cold and rain to gather with a few thousand other people so we can all run 13.1 miles.

Middle school Annie would be shocked.

I started running a couple of years ago after my gym offered a running class for newbies. I found that I liked it and started running 5ks, then challenged myself with a 10k. Last fall, I was in a running rut and decided I should sign up for a half-marathon so I’d have to really challenge myself. I had to get up early, schedule running time on the weekend, deal with setbacks like sickness or foot pain. But when last Sunday rolled around, I felt ready and wanted to cross that finish line.

I actually got kind of emotional heading down that last .1 mile. The race was in honor of fallen MA police officers, like Officer Sean Collier, who had originally signed up to run the race. After the Boston Marathon bombings, I think a lot of local runners felt like this was a particularly meaningful race.

Me after the run. Woohoo!

But I also got emotional thinking about how I never expected to run this far. For me, having never been athletic and not being used to pushing myself physically, this was a big experience.

It also got me thinking about writing goals. I know a lot of people talk about writing and running, and do so much better than I could, but the process is similar. You have to get up early or sacrifice some of your weekend hours. You may need to shower or eat lots of sandwiches afterward. Problems pop up all the time (knee pain, plot holes, etc.). It’s easy to say the weather/coffee’s not right and make excuses, but it doesn’t get the work done. Just getting out there/in front of the computer can be daunting, especially when your goal seems so far ahead of you. But the work builds and matters. Every step you take, every word you write, is bringing you closer to your goal. Maybe it’s a goal that you never thought you could achieve, but you can get there. Little by little, you can cross that finish line.

Another way running is like writing–a lot of time spent working is time alone, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a supportive community. So high five to all you readers who are working hard and making strides to your goals!

New Musical Inspiration

If I’d known about Basia Bulat when I was writing QotA, she would have been all over my playlist. Especially “I Was a Daughter,” which you can listen to:

I love when songs remind me of a character or capture the tone of something I’m writing. What songs connect with your work?

Previously about playlists.

Links Galore

Lots of good links for (at least around here) a rainy Wednesday:

Great post about why stories about mental health matter.
Talk about what excites you, and other advice for debut author readings.
I feel like I’m always reading and forgetting.
Damn those witty and insightful writers and their legion of Twitter followers!
Even if your characters aren’t hooking up, they still live in a world where that happens (and other thoughts on writing sex in YA).
John Green on why The Fault in Our Stars is his most successful book to date, including shoutouts to his publishing team.
I read things like 25 Signs You’re Addicted to Books and think “Wait…not everyone feels like this?”
Historical fiction suggestions from a favorite local bookstore.
Attention Charlottesville writers and fans of local food! Beyond the Flavor wants your words.
Rebecca Behrens shares some good common sense. I think we all need to remind ourselves of this.
Everyone at BEA should wear a tiara or cool hat. Seriously, guys, make it happen.