Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Breaking Dawn Trip

It seems that Stephenie Meyer will not be going on a big tour for Breaking Dawn. She is only doing a few events.
· 8/1 - New York City @ Nokia Theatre at Times Square
· 8/5 - Chicago @ Harris Theater
· 8/7 - Los Angeles @ Royce Hall
· 8/12 - Seattle @ Benaroya Hall
I still really want to go and see her and hope that we could make a trip of it.
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1589042/story.jhtml has more information about the tour.

Monday, June 09, 2008

A Harry Potter Commencement: JK Rowling speaks at Harvard

You might find it interesting to go here to Harvard Magazine, and read or listen to J.K. Rowling's commencement address to Harvard's graduating class of 2008, in which she talks about her struggles before publishing the books she wanted to write, and discusses the value of personal failure and of imagination. It's a neat look at what Rowling finds important, and a little window on the hurdles to become a writer.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Summer Reading Opportunities at Public Library!

You may want to check out La Crosse County Library's Summer Reading Program literature, found in this link -- they're hosting movie nights this summer, and prize giveaways for books read.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

More Breaking Dawn!

Here's a screenshot of the cover:

Talk about ominous! This looks to me like two chess queens in opposition, which should mean the conflict will be ratcheted up to the limit.
What are you reading now that we're heading into summer?

I'm working on a re-read of Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, recently acquired by the library in the new-books pile. This was one of the YA books I read off the shelf and had to buy for myself; I think its premise (a girl who commits suicide sends a collection of audio tapes in lieu of a note to the thirteen people she thinks could have made a difference) is a real original, and it's both familiar and unforgettable. This was one of my must-reads this year, and you should check it out.

I just finished The Market by J.M. Steele, and despite a few bumpy moments -- there were a few instances of sloppy writing habits that made me want to play editor -- it's a really fascinating look at popularity through the lens of a mock-internet stock market of girls at a particular school. The twists were both well foreshadowed and really surprising, and the viewpoint character is incredibly engaging, even as she succumbs to less-than-perfect behavior.

I tried the new Meg Cabot, Airhead -- and despite glowing reviews around, I was less than enthused. I LOVE the premise -- it's one of the best don't-spoil-this twists in awhile -- and yet...

There was just something missing there. I think it's the part where we don't get to really get a good handle on the character the narrator is crushing on, so her crush on him is virtually the only reason we care. There's also no real resolution, as Cabot is looking to make a series of these books. That's all well and good, but I expect more from the mistress of serial fiction that way.

PERCY JACKSON 4.

It's hard to type out squealing noises. Book 5 can't come fast enough. This was the book that finally decided it for me: I DO love the Percy Jackson books more than Harry Potter. Battle for the Labyrinth was yet another stellar entry into this series. I was thrilled to see Tyson's return, and the dimensions revealed behind other familiar faces - from Annabelle to Clarisse to Nico to, of all people, the briefly mentioned Rachel Elizabeth Dare, here a fascinating new force in the Olympian world even as a mortal girl. There's a ton of subtle foreshadowing for the climax to come - ranging from the progress of BFF Grover's quest to find the great god Pan to discussions of the nature of the combat between the Olympian gods and their older counterparts the Titans, and who takes which sides in that conflict and their reasons for so doing. Percy's mom remains one of the coolest parents in literature, and it's nice to see Riordan's great handling of the mortal sides of Percy's relationships. I laughed! I cried! I want book 5.

I've recently finished Barry Lyga's Cybil-winning Boy Toy, and I hardly know where to begin with this book. It's a difficult topic; it examines the emotions of an eighteen-year-old male high school baseball star who, at age thirteen, was molested by his female teacher, and whose life was turned upside-down for years to come by the subsequent trial and reputation thus acquired. This is, as you probably can guess, NOT an easy read, and not for everybody, but it's unquestionably well done. I don't know if I've read many more powerful books this year, and Lyga handles character like almost nobody else. If you like difficult realistic fiction, this is worth a look.

That's my recent reading list (ie, just this last week). What are you reading as summer winds down?

PS: Little Brother fanatics -- I know where Cory Doctorow stores his how-to-be-an-awesome-hacker instruction starters!