Ellie Marney's Blog, page 12

#LoveOzYAbookclub Feb 2020 title announcement – IT SOUNDED BETTER IN MY HEAD

Hello, and welcome back to bookclub for a brand new year!

I’m very excited to be welcoming you all back for 2020 – it’s been amazing to see how bookclub has steadily grown against all my expectations! I honestly thought it would just be a few dozen superkeen OzYA friends and I discussing books on FB, but here we are over 600 members-strong, and more people continue to jump aboard all the time, which makes me so very happy to see!

Now here we are with another year, and with a few changes to bookclub to keep us all evolving: Emmaly White Gridley has kindly joined up as my co-mod, and Emm and I will be taking it in turns each month of this year to choose books and introduce them. I hope you enjoy the chance to find new Australian YA titles – and we have some doozies for you this year!

First book off the rank for February is my pick, and I’ve chosen the delightful IT SOUNDED BETTER IN MY HEAD by Nina Kenwood. Here’s the blurb:

When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting, or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward. She’d always imagined she would end up with Zach one day―in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining, and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed, and nothing is quite making sense. Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.

It Sounded Better in My Head is a compulsively readable love letter to teenage romance in all of its awkward glory, perfect for fans To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Emergency Contact.

Nina Kenwood is a Melbourne-based author, and this is her debut YA novel. She has worked in books and publishing for more than ten years, and currently works at Readings bookshop. IT SOUNDED BETTER IN MY HEAD won the 2018 Text Prize, and will be published in the USA by Flatiron books in April of this year.

You can order IT SOUNDED BETTER IN MY HEAD through Boomerang Books, receiving free shipping with the ‘loveoz’ code. You can also find signed copies at Readings books here, or in ebook format here. However you like to read, I hope you enjoy it!

We’ll have a short interview with Nina later in the month, and a discussion of the book late in February, so stay tuned at the FB page.

And from my family to yours, I’d like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year, and all best wishes. I hope your road is smooth, your travel light, your shelves packed with great books – and I send you all good thoughts for a fantastic 2020

xxEllie

Holiday recs, and new moves afoot for #LoveOzYAbookclub 2020!

Hello friends

#LoveOzYAbookclub Dec2019 author interview: POPPY NWOSU (Making Friends With Alice Dyson)

One of the best things about choosing books for #LoveOzYAbookclub is getting the chance to introduce debut authors – and this month we have an interview with OzYA debut Poppy Nwosu about her book MAKING FRIENDS WITH ALICE DYSON.

 

Poppy Nwosu grew up in Queensland, lived for a time in the UK and Europe, and now writes from her home base in Adelaide. ALICE DYSON was shortlisted for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Unpublished Manuscript Award, and the 2019 Readings Young Adult Book Prize. Poppy was also awarded the 2019 Writers SA Varuna the Writers’ House Fellowship for Young Writers. Her second book TAKING DOWN EVELYN TAIT is due for release in April 2020 – and there’s another interview with Poppy here if you’d like to know more!

 

* Why this book? Why this story?

Making Friends with Alice Dyson came from the idea that I wanted to write something fun and positive and entertaining, in the same vein as Finding Cassie Crazy by Jaclyn Moriarty, which always made me so happy. My story was inspired by a very cute caught on camera viral video from South Korea of two teenagers doing goofy dances at each other on the way home from school (you can still find it floating around the internet). I thought it was such an adorable moment, caught in time, and I couldn’t help wonder what their story was, what their friendship was like that they could be so goofy and comfortable in front of each other.

It really got me thinking, and led to me wanting to write a romantic story based on a solid friendship like theirs.

 

* What other media inspired you during the writing of this book? Songs, TV, movies, other books…it’s all grist for the mill!

I am very inspired by songs and lyrics, movies and shows. I find watching and reading is the best way to keep me creative. For this novel I was very inspired by some of the Japanese shoujo anime I was watching at the time. They are often very cute and romantic, with a sweet and nuanced look at making friends and being brave enough to put yourself out there. I think those same themes wound their way into my book.

 

* Why write for teenagers?

I don’t think I particularly did set out to write for teenagers, it was more about wanting to write the kind of stories that I love reading. Basically I am a massive YA fiction fan, and most of my favourite books are YA. Therefore, it only felt natural that when I started writing, I began writing YA too.

But in terms of what drew me to love YA in the first place, I think it is because of the huge focus within YA literature on growth, change and the coming of age theme. No matter if YA books are contemporary or set in space, I feel like they always have such a strong focus on the protagonist figuring out who they are and who they want to be, and I really love that.

I feel that as a theme, the idea of character growth and change is so universal, and I am always drawn back to it, no matter how old I get. It still feels so relevant to me. Probably because even as an adult I am constantly changing and reassessing myself. I don’t feel like that focus on growth ever ends.

I love exploring that same theme when I am writing stories, and I really hope to write books that make readers feel the same way my favourite YA books make me feel.

 

* Trash Media Challenge – which fave trash movie/show would you cheerily inflict on your friends?

I LOVE this question.

I have often pushed all the very old romantic comedy movies starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on my family. Some people may think they are cheesy and embarrassing romances, but I think they are beautiful! My favourites are Follow the Fleet and Carefree.

Fred and Ginger are endlessly charming!

 

* Your fave line of poetry is…

I am a huge fan of Pablo Neruda and Rumi, and it is very very difficult for me to choose a favourite line, but here is one of my many favourites from Rumi:

Walk out as a lion, as a rose. Inhale autumn, long for spring.

 

Poppy, thank you so much for joining in with us on #LoveOzYAbookclub, and see you in 2020!

#LoveOzYAbookclub title selection Dec 2019 – MAKING FRIENDS WITH ALICE DYSON (Poppy Nwosu)

Hello friends J We’ve reached the finale section of 2019, and here’s the book that will take us through to a brand new bookclub year in 2020 – MAKING FRIENDS WITH ALICE DYSON by Poppy Nwosu.

It’s a sweet contemporary romance about Alice – trying hard to concentrate on her last year of high school – and Teddy, the school’s most notorious troublemaker. Here’s the blurb:

My hand, which is following a stray pencil rolling across the floor, stops dead right in front of two ratty green sneakers.

My gaze follows the shoes up over long legs to a towering figure.

I stand abruptly.

Tall, black eyes, messy hair, a permanent scowl on a permanently angry face. Our school’s delinquent, a waster, the kind of boy who always sits at the back of class. The kind of boy even popular people like Sophia are afraid of.

Teddy Taualai.

Alice Dyson knows exactly how she’ll be spending her final year of high school. With her head down, quietly concentrating on her textbooks and homework. She’s focused on the future, and nothing and no one is going to get in her way. Until a bizarre encounter with the school’s most notorious troublemaker derails all her plans, turning Alice into the unwilling centre of attention and her life into one enormous complication.

And even worse? Now Teddy Taualai won’t leave her alone.

A story about rumours, friendship, and discovering who you really are.

I’m very much looking forward to reading this! According to reports, this gorgeous story also contains a great girl friendship – as well as a peek into contemporary high schools, and the keen tang of young love. Poppy Nwosu is a debut author who was awarded the 2019 SA Varuna Writer’s House Fellowship for Young Writers; this first book was shortlisted for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Unpublished Manuscript award and the Readings YA Book Prize. I’ll be sharing an interview with Poppy very soon on bookclub, so keep your eyes open!

I hope you enjoy MAKING FRIENDS WITH ALICE DYSON and happy reading! While I’m afraid there’s no digital version of this book, you can find the paperback here at Boomerang Books, and use the code ‘loveoz’ to get free shipping on your order.

There’s also some exciting moves afoot for #LoveOzYAbookclub, which I’ll tell you all about very soon – talk then and have a great week

xxEllie

#LoveOzYAbookclub September 2019 title selection – MONUMENTS

Good morning, bookclubbers! Here in Australia, we’ve moved from shivering in our coats to feeling the first warm breeze of spring (and anticipating what’s bound to be an over-warm summer) so it feels appropriate to be reading a new title in bookclub that deals with geologic-level myth-making – our book for September is MONUMENTS by much-loved local author Will Kostakis.

Here’s the blurb:

All 16-year-old Connor is trying to do is avoid his ex-best friend when he stumbles upon a trapdoor to a secret chamber under his school. But when Sally Rodgers breaks into the same secret chamber looking for an ancient being, things take an unexpected turn . . . and Connor’s life will never be the same again.

Along with the mysterious Sally and, later on, his new friend Locky, Connor discovers the Monuments – gods who have been buried for generations – who created the world and hid themselves away from humanity to keep everyone safe. But now they’re exposed and vulnerable, and Connor isn’t sure who, himself included, can be trusted with the knowledge and the power these gods have.

It’s great to have another amazing Will Kostakis book on the list, and this is the start of a ripping new duology! If you’ve been keeping up on socials, Will has been travelling around Australia during the book’s release period – so let us know if you’ve encountered Will at your school or event.

If you’d like to order the book online, you can find it here at Boomerang Books, and receive free shipping by using the ‘loveoz’ code at checkout. Alternatively, you can read in ebook by clicking here.

I very much hope you enjoy MONUMENTS, and please do keep us up to date with your reading on our group Facebook page.

See you again soon!

xxEllie

#LoveOzYAbookclub Books in the Spotlight: BETWEEN US (Clare Atkins)

Hello and welcome to a new feature of bookclub! For some time I’ve been thinking that there are just way more OzYA books out there than we have time to read in bookclub, so this is a way I’ve thought up to shine a spotlight on books not selected for reading, or neglected OzYA classics, or for discussions around books we’ve read personally and would like to share our opinions about. I’m hoping it might even introduce some new books to new readers! If it’s interesting to people, I’ll continue with it – so this is a bit of an early experiment

#LoveOzYAbookclub July 2019 title announcement – AURORA RISING

Hello, I’ve had a slow start this month due to school holidays and illness, sorry about that! But I’m very happy to announce that we have a new title – AURORA RISING by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. And after being unable to get my hands on it for a while (because my kids confiscated it as soon as it arrived), I am extreeeemely excited to be reading this book!

Here’s the blurb:

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm

A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates

A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder

An alien warrior with anger management issues

A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. 

AURORA RISING is the first in The Aurora Cycle – it’s not an epistolary novel like The Illuminae Files, but this book is the beginning of another thrilling series from Amie and Jay, who between them have multiple Aurealis awards, NYT bestseller listings, a Gold Inky and an ABIA.

You might be thinking, with all this street cred, why bother giving them an extra plug in #LoveOzYAbookclub? Well the first reason is because they keep releasing damn fine books. The second reason is that every time I visit local schools, I still find classfuls of students who’ve never heard of them – or don’t believe they come from Australia. Believe it, folks!

If it’s anything like Amie and Jay’s other offerings, AURORA RISING will be jam-packed with pithy quips, mind-bending spaaaace, smart banter, clever easter eggs, names of friends and pop culture in-jokes that are always a helluva lot of fun to spot, so keep your eyes peeled! And considering I could literally read their books all day, the concept of a new series sounds pretty good to me.

If you’d like to use the code ‘loveoz’ when ordering this months’ title from Boomerang Books, go right ahead and receive free shipping. Or if reading in digital is more your style, you can find the book here.

Because I’m introducing our July title so late, this title will spill over into August, with discussion scheduled for that month. So there’s no hurry – take your time, and hope you enjoy this month’s read!

xxEllie

#LoveOzYAbookclub – June 2019 author interview: Michael Earp (KINDRED)

Good morning! One of my fave things about bookclub is that great feeling when we have the opportunity to introduce readers and fans to brand new (or new-to-them) authors. This month’s title, KINDRED: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories, is an anthology that gives readers a chance to sample a variety of amazing new talent. And this book’s talent-cup runneth over: KINDRED has a selection from a literal Who’s Who of Australian literature, including Christos Tsiolkas, Benjamin Law, Claire G Coleman, Omar Sakr, Alison Evans, Jen Wilde, Marlee Jane Ward, Nevo Zisin, Erin Gough and Ellen van Neerven.

The person who has pulled this rainbow of incredible talent together is Micheal Earp, Melbourne-based children’s/YA bookseller and writer. Originally from NSW, Michael studied teaching before moving into his Master of Arts in Children’s Literature, all the while building up 16 years’ worth of credentials in children’s bookselling. His writing work has been published in The Victorian Writer, Aurealis, and Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories. He hand-sells amazing kid’s and YA literature at The Little Bookroom in Melbourne.

 

* Why this book? Why this story?

Why this book? Because I simply couldn’t think of anything I’d rather offer the world than a wonderfully queer collection of YA short stories. And what a cracker of a list of contributors! Australia certainly has so much to offer.

Why this story? I wanted to write something fantasy. I wanted a gender-queer witch. I’d just gone through a horrific break up. Enough said.

 

* One curious or unusual thing about you that most people don’t know…

Just one? I’ve kept every piece of writing I’ve done since I started my angsty poetry as a 14-year-old. And no, it’s not for public consumption.

 

* Okay – what three hot books you would run in to save if your house was burning?

You’re killing me with this just three business! Shaun Tan’s The Red Tree, it’s a signed edition, and the book that was given to me for my eighteenth birthday that set me on this journey of book obsession and writing. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. Also a signed edition that I went all the way to America to get after my original signed edition was heinously stolen from me. And lastly, Release by Patrick Ness. Also signed and resonating like a gong in my head, in my heart.

P.S. I have too many signed editions. This is a crewel question.

 

* Live the dream – fancast your book for the smash-hit Netflix series it deserves (you know you want to…)

Ooo, can it be a real thing?

Simeon should be played by Narnia era William Moseley.

It would be awesome to have Wyll played by Keiynan Lonsdale.

And Wren would be jaw-dropping if Tilda Swinton played them. But that’s because I love her so! I’d actually want a non-binary actor to play that role.

 

* Trash Media Challenge – which fave trash movie/show would you cheerily inflict on your friends?

I’ve been known to do exactly this! My rot-your-teeth TV of choice is RuPaul’s Drag Race. However, I find myself increasingly disenchanted by it. Not that I’ll stop watching anytime soon. I’ll just reminisce about the glory days.

 

Thank you for visiting bookclub, Michael!  And thanks for getting your sillies on with #LoveOzYAbookclub J

xxEllie

#LoveOzYAbookclub title announcement June 2019 – KINDRED

KIN_COV_FINAL

Hello, and welcome to the middle of the year! We have a new title for this month, and I know you’ll be as excited as I am to read KINDRED: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA stories, edited by Michael Earp.

This anthology pretty much has it all: an incredible twelve-story buffet with work by an amazing selection of writers, including Erin Gough, Claire Coleman, Christos Tsiolkas, Benjamin Law, Marlee Jane Ward and another #LoveOzYAbookclub alumnus, Alison Evans. The anthology recently had a fantastic ‘coming out’ release launch in Melbourne – it was also launched and featured at this year’s Sydney Writers Festival, and will continue its run of literary festival appearances after being the recipient of an Australia Council grant. The focus of the anthology is family and connection, and here’s the blurb:

What does it mean to be queer? What does it mean to be human? In this powerful #OwnVoices collection, twelve of Australia’s finest queer writers explore the stories of family, friends, lovers and strangers – the connections that form us.

Compelling queer short fiction by bestsellers, award winners and newcomers to the #LoveOzYA community including Jax Jacki Brown, Claire G Coleman, Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Erin Gough, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, Christos Tsiolkas, Ellen van Neerven, Marlee Jane Ward, Jen Wilde and Nevo Zisin.

I’m afraid there isn’t an e-copy of this available, but you can grab a print copy of KINDRED from Boomerang Books (using the ‘loveoz’ code to get free shipping) or from The Little Bookroom (which gets you a copy signed by Michael Earp!).

 

Please join me in giving a hearty #LoveOzYAbookclub welcome to KINDRED and all its amazing authors, and I hope you enjoy this month’s book!

xxEllie

something real and something true

I’m writing this while sitting propped on pillows on my bed, while in the next room, my partner helps our youngest son with his Year 5 Ancient Egypt project. I did my bit on the project already, having been integral to the model-making process yesterday.

I was out in the garden earlier (it’s Sunday) considering where I’m at with my writing life. I’ve currently got a book on submission to the US – it’s a really good book, in my opinion, but being on submission is always terrifying because you just don’t know if anyone else will like your book enough to buy it. I have another job offer – I’m a teacher, and I could go back more consistently to teaching – and I feel lucky to have alternative income options. But the idea is a little depressing too: writing is where my heart is, and working two jobs (or more) is tiring. We all do it, but it’s tiring and I’m getting older now.

Tangentially to this, we had an election in Australia in the last 48 hours and the outcome was…not great. People have voted the conservatives in again and I’m a bit devastated, to be honest. It feels like a tenuous time – for my writing career and for my country.

It’s got me thinking about why I write and the reasons I keep going with it. Being an artist of any stripe is always ‘tenuous’ and ‘not great’ as far as a reliable income for supporting a family goes. I keep at it. But I’ve had to map out a few important things I consider when I’m writing or making decisions about my writing career. And now I’m sharing them with you. So here we go.

Don’t do this job for the money. And don’t do it as a job – unless you’ve published a book that’s sold a million copies. And even then, have a backup plan.

Write because you love it. Write because if you don’t write, you’ll die inside. Write because you can’t not write. Because it keeps you sane, it keeps you whole.

Write just for you. Write the stuff you love, for the absolute joy of writing. Write like it’s fanfic – not expecting glory or remuneration, just for the sheer enjoyment of bringing your dream to life.

Or write as a gift for someone else. To capture a memory, or an emotion. Write to tell someone else you love them, in a way you can’t say directly.

Write to tell your story. Because no one writes these stories but you, and you’ve never found them anywhere else. Write to affirm that what you experienced was real. Write out of empathy and understanding. Write the truth.

Write because you’re angry. Because if you don’t tell this story, if you don’t explain it and make sense of it and get it out there, you’ll explode. Write the frustration out. Get it out of your body before it poisons you. Write to blow all that away.

Write at your own schedule. Write every day, with urgency, if you can manage it. Don’t worry if you can’t. But if writing is important to you, make time for it. Schedule it in, like you schedule exercise or a lunch date or any other appointment. No one will make that time for you. You have to create it.

Publish if you want to. Polish your work and submit it to agents, to publishers. Or publish it yourself. Don’t expect anything from it. Don’t expect it to be a bestseller, or to make your reputation, or your fortune. That will depend entirely on luck. No one owes you anything, remember.

Keep writing. If you sell something, keep at it – frontlist sells backlist. If you don’t sell anything, keep writing if it’s something that gives you pleasure or that you need to do.

Don’t rely on any money you make from writing. Whatever money you make, remember it’s just gravy. One book deal is not an income. Even three book deals are not an income. You have to eat. You have bills to pay. Keep working. Keep writing.

Don’t sacrifice everything for your writing. Your family, your job, your self-care – they all need attention too. Remember what Stephen King said: Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.

If you sell a book, and it’s successful, don’t imagine it’s from anything you did. It’s just luck. You may never hit that mark again. And that’s okay. Enjoy the success, but don’t put any store by it. Don’t care about the success more than the writing.

But work hard at your writing. Keep learning. Be smart about it. Be honest with yourself. The best writers are always learning, always improving.

If you do well with publishing, be professional. Be polite. Be responsive and courteous. Everyone in publishing is working equally hard. They have families and problems, just like you. They’re giant word nerds, just like you. Be considerate and treat people the way you would like to be treated.

Try to help other writers. If you’re successful, help other writers achieve the same success. Lift people up. You will never hurt your own career by helping another writer out. You will not miss your chance because someone else became successful. Writing and publishing is not pie. Feel jealous, if you want, but don’t get mean.

Don’t imagine you know everything there is to know about writing or the business of publishing. The landscape is constantly changing. Ask for advice if you need it. Don’t make writing rules, even for yourself. Stay flexible. Keep adapting. Grow.

Make your writing a light in the dark. Make it the high point of your day. A gift for the reader. Something real and something true. Otherwise, why are you doing this?

Stay the course.

Enjoy the writing.

That’s all that matters in the end.

xxEllie