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Today's Hits: oprah calls it quits. new moon rises. lost in february. and more. Au Revoir, Oprah: In news that's guaranteed to send publishers into convulsions of horror, Oprah Winfrey is announcing on today's episode that she is folding up her talk show. Wipe away those tears, Oprah fans: she's turning her attention toward an entire [...]

In a word, NO. At least, not if you trust the opinions of the kids John Oliver read aloud to in a hilarious clip featured Wednesday on&nb... Read the rest of this post

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes

Reviewed by Benjamin Moser
Harper's Magazine

Richard Holmes's monumental The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science (Pantheon, $40) opens in 1769, when the dashing young millionaire Joseph Banks alighted on Tahiti, a paradisiacal isle that was to host Captain James Cook's observations of the transit of Venus -- though, as the crewmen discovered, the island's other charms lent the name of their temporary establishment, Fort Venus, more suggestive shades.

Banks is the figure that unites a whole panorama of Romantic heroes: as president of the Royal Society, he went on to sponsor all sorts... Read the rest of this post

The Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy, illustrations by Tom Percival, despite the fact that it is currently only three books long, has had three different cover designs as well as a title change since book one, Scepter of the Ancients (the new title of the first book in the series) was published in 2007. Since I often judge a book by it's cover, this phenomenon caught my eye right away.

Adventures in badassery!

Scott Westerfeld, the author of the fun, body-image-centered trilogy, Uglies, Pretties, Specials, the vampire series, Peeps, and puzzle-horror series, Midnighters, has a new book out, the beginning to a very promising new series. Leviathan, a steam-punk retelling of WWI, is a rollicking start to what I'm hoping is going to be Westerfeld's best series yet! Perspective switches every two chapters between an unseated prince (Aleks), who has been humbled by his parents' deaths, and Derryn, a cross-dressing girl in the British Royal Navy. Driving both characters is the need to keep their true identities secret, and when their paths cross, their central tensions blend in compelling and juicy (yes, juicy) ways.

Like all Westerfeld's novels, Leviathan kicks off the action immediately, and I was hooked from page one. This world of Clankers (large, mechanical war vehicles) and Darwinist Beasties (hybrid war animal-machines) is so much fun that even though I was seriously pissed when I realized that this book was the first in a series (I shake my fist at you, Scott Westerfeld!!! Now I have to wait???) I can't say I'm not excited to spend more time in this world. For those readers that enjoyed Hunger Games, His Dark Materials, or Eon, this book might be a go. Like Hunger Games, this book moves quickly. Like His Dark Materials it occurs in a world that is at once an alternate past and a possible future. And like Eon, it features a strong, cross-dressing lead, succeeding in a man's role.

I am a little embarrassed to admit I didn't actually read this... I listened to it on audio on the drive from Seattle to San Francisco, as read by the (badass) Alan Cummings (who does an AWESOME job, seriously, AMAZING) but I liked it so much I'm going to read a hard copy, too. I suggest you do, too!

Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of my favorite places on Earth. On a recent visit to their website, I learned that they offer various programs for teens. I wish I had had such opportunities when I was a teenager. They sound so cool! Take this one, for example:

Young Women in Science (YWS)
This week-long, summer day-camp is designed to get young women excited about and involved in science, the ocean and conservation. Through a variety of hands-on field activities, we strive to increase their knowledge and to spark a personal connection with the natural world that will lead them to become future stewards of the ocean. Kids get the opportunity to explore ocean habitats by joining in activities such as surface scuba diving, boogie boarding and kayaking.

We aim to serve young women regardless of primary language or economic background. We offer three camps in the summer that are conducted in both English and Spanish. Young women entering grades 6, 7 or 8, who reside in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties, are eligible to apply.

I hope that teens reading this post who qualify and live in California will apply to these programs. Likewise, I hope that those of you who work with teens or have teenagers of your own will pass the links and information along to them and encourage them to apply. I simply cut-and-pasted the text from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's site in an effort to help them spread the word and get more applicants. Please feel free to repost this post if you'd like, but note that YWS is only one of the four different teen programs that they offer.

For more information on these programs, visit their website and email teenprograms@mbayaq.org

Today's Hits: national book award winners. nabokov's last book. (and his old ones redesigned.) sex and the city goes back to school. and more. Let the Book Awards Spin: Last night Colum McCann won the National Book Award for fiction with his novel Let the Great World Spin. In accepting the award, the Irish-born Mr. McCann, [...]

The recent announcement of the word unfriend winning "word of the year" by the New Oxford American Dictionary ( by the way, isn't it called de-friending?by the way, isn't it called de-friending?) made me think about some of the ways Facebook has changed my friendships for the better… * I've found long-lost friends. I fully realize [...]

A few weeks back Arianna Huffington over at The Huffington Post announced the launch of their book club. Their first selection was IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS: Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honore. I think the subtitle of this book really says it all and it is fascinating that this was selected to be the inaugural book club selection for a website.

They are having their first *live* discussion about the book today at 3pm (EST). Check it out here.

[Editor's note: Following is a reprint of our 2005 interview with John Irving. ] On one list are the books you like to recommend. You want to turn someone on to your favorite unknown author or introduce them to the season's latest, greatest novel. If you've read widely enough over the years, you'll match reader to [...]

The holiday season is upon us. While this means increased sales and traffic, it also means seasonal displays must be created. I have to confess tha... Read the rest of this post

If stunning photography and stylish book design rock your world, you probably already own a selection of Taschen publications. Taschen is bold, brassy, and very, very German. In Istanbul, three thousand miles from Taschen's home turf, the house of Ertuğ and Kocabiyik has produced some of the most beautiful large format, limited edition photography books [...]

So now I've blabbed about how the P.S. book has brought contributors and their friends together (including my own reunions). Now what do I have up my sleeve, you wonder? For my third blog post, I wanted to address a question people often ask me about the book: Why letters? Why are they unsent? Okay, [...]

If you think I'm busy, you should see Christopher Golden's schedule. As I type this, he is probably in the middle of writing one book, revising another, and plotting a third, each of which are diametrically different from the others. He has authored or co-authored over 100 novels, novellas, short stories, comics, graphic novels, and more. Christopher writes every single day, no matter what. I greatly admire his writing talent as well his dedication to his craft.

For his latest series, The Waking trilogy, he has adopted a pen name: Thomas Randall. In our previous interview, he explained why he used the pseudonym. In today's chat, he reveals more about the history and mystery of his haunting new series.

The first book of The Waking has a haunting title and premise: Dreams of the Dead. Have you ever been visited by lost loved ones in dreams?

I have, in fact. I should point out that I think there's a difference between dreaming about someone you've lost and actually having the feeling that they have touched you in some way. I'm a born skeptic, but it isn't that I don't want to believe...it's that I do. I want to be convinced, but I'm always a bit dubious. Yet sometimes things happen that are difficult to deny. I had at least two dreams about my father after he died where it truly felt as though he wanted to let me know that he was at peace. He had led a life that on the surface would have seemed quite happy, but his final years were spent unmoored from the kind of fundamental relationships most people rely on. Papa was a rolling stone. He died of cancer and suffered a lot at the very end. But when I dreamed about him--and in the dream I knew I was dreaming and that he shouldn't be there because he was dead--it really felt to me that he wanted to let me know that he was okay, now. I woke up feeling such relief...I still missed him horribly and grieved his death (that hasn't changed at all in more than twenty years and I doubt it ever will). But I felt like he was watching over me and wanted to set me at ease. As much as I loved him and as fun as he was to be around, you always had the feeling you were "out of sight, out of mind" with him. So to wake from that dream and feel like he had made this effort to comfort me was very powerful. Now, I'm the kind of person who tends to believe this sort of thing is all bull, and I'm aware that it was probably just my subconscious doing all of this work to deal with my feelings about his death. But maybe it wasn't. And, honestly, "maybe" is enough to lighten your heart.

In The Waking: Dreams of the Dead, Kara is an American girl newly transplanted to Japan. How did you balance the realistic storyline - the move, the culture shock and subsequent adjustments - with the supernatural storyline?

Fortunately, I didn't have to go to any great lengths there. To an American, Japan is exotic and mysterious, its culture and its folklore strange and different. In fiction that is the perfect sort of environment in which to set a supernatural story.

The second book in the trilogy, Spirits of the Noh, will be out in May 2010. Have you seen any Noh plays performed?

I wish I could say that I had, but actually I have never had the opportunity. I would love to see one. Better yet, I'd love to see one in Japan. What fascinates me the most about Noh theatre is the extraordinary discipline involved. The actors don't rehearse together, but perfect their roles in private and then put them together like a sort of living puzzle, like each of them has a part of the story but only when they come together will it become clear. And there is no room for improvisation. In many ways it's more ritual than theatre, and I'm intrigued by that.

In our previous interview, you said that you had always planned for The Waking to be a trilogy. Will the final book, A Winter of Ghosts (December 2010), leave any room for future stories, just in case? Would you be open to writing another book about Kara or related characters, or someone new in a similar setting?

The story that begins in DREAMS OF THE DEAD definitely ends in A WINTER OF GHOSTS. There are many resolutions in that third book, including with plot elements and characters you might think you had seen the last of in the first or second books. That said, I wouldn't rule out a sequel at some point, but I have no plans at the moment. My editor at Bloomsbury and I have been talking about what's next and if the powers there are as intrigued by the idea as my editor and I are, what's next would be very different.

Count me in and keep me posted! Which book took the longest to write? Which was the most difficult to get from brain to paper (or computer)?

Definitely DREAMS OF THE DEAD. I had so much research to do. Every new scenario that Kara faced, from taking a train to going downtown with her friends to eating lunch at school or dinner at home with her father to visiting a dormitory...I had to educate myself about every single aspect of her new life. Fortunately, I found it all incredibly interesting, so it was no hardship doing that research.

When writing a series, what comes first, each book's major plot leading up to the finale, or the character arcs, showcasing character changes and growth?

I can't separate the two. Most of the time, for me, concept comes first, and the fundamental structure of acts one and two, and probably a small glimmer of an idea of how it will wrap up. Then the characters are born and begin to interact and as I begin to understand how they will affect one another and how their nature will cause them to react to catalyst events in the story, they alter some of the story I've already come up with and also dictate the structure of the climactic third act.

What do you hope people take with them after they've read the final line of The Waking books?

That we have to live, and not let ourselves be haunted by the things we've lost or may one day lose. That we should laugh while we can and let yesterday be yesterday and tomorrow be tomorrow.

Learn more about The Waking trilogy.

Follow The Waking: Dreams of the Dead blog tour.

Visit Christopher Golden's website and blog.

Visit all of today's tour stops:
Sy Montgomery (Part 2) at Chasing Ray
Laini Taylor at Shelf Elf
Jim DiBartolo at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Amanda Marrone at Writing & Ruminating
Thomas Randall at Bildungsroman
Michael Hague at Fuse #8

Here's the Bildungsroman schedule for WBBT 2009:
Monday, November 16th: Courtney Sheinmel
Tuesday, November 17th: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Wednesday, November 18th: Jacqui Robbins
Thursday, November 19th: Thomas Randall
Friday, November 20th: Joan Holub

View the full schedule for WBBT 2009.

Harlequin, the romance publisher famous for starting the careers of such household names as Nora Roberts and Tess Gerritsen, has teamed up with Author Solutions to create a self-publishing imprint. Harlequin Horizons, the new author subsidized imprint is one of the first in what could be a trend of major publishing houses seeking alternative methods for turning a profit. These new imprints would offer print on demand printing, typesetting, jacket design and basic levels of editing for a fee.

While I’m sure there are many authors who will jump at the chance of having their books printed with an imprint that is closely related to a major publishing house, there are both advantages and disadvantages to going the self-publishing route. The success stories of self-published authors may push many aspiring novelists to take this route, however, it is a very difficult and time-consuming journey. It is a journey that needs to be planned out fully and properly executed in order to give yourself a chance at mainstream potential (hiring an editor for a thorough, complex editing of manuscript, a publicist to help in media placement and review coverage, and acquiring distribution).

We will have to wait and see if more publishing houses follow suit and what kind of attention this results in for the writers involved.

This is something that I think about often when reading. How many people write in their books? Do you scribble notes to yourself, underline important/quote-worthy passages or do you just highlight words or sections? Does it help you better understand the material? Does it make the entire experience more memorable?

My parents collect rare books, so it has always been an unwritten rule around my house that books should be treated with care and respect…however, I have gone to the dark side. I write in books! I underline, I scribble (although I have extremely neat handwriting, so it really can’t be called scribbling), I highlight (yellow is my color of choice). I like my books to look like a version of my own personal diary. I want to always remember what struck me as poignant. I want to be able to revisit my thoughts and perceptions.

So my question is, “Do you write in books?” If you do, I would love to see snapshots of a page out of your book.

Reprinting from the November issue of readergirlz and the readergirlz blog:

In Marlene Carvell's Sweetgrass Basket, Mattie and Sarah long for family. The two sisters would probably agree with Alex Haley, who said, "In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future."

Link with your family on Saturday, November 21st for National Family Volunteer Day. Volunteering as a family is the perfect way to spend quality time with your loved ones while doing meaningful work in your community.

Visit http://www.serve.gov for a searchable database of volunteering opportunities near you and encourage the whole fam to get out and make a difference!

Read the latest issue of readergirlz.
Visit the readergirlz website and blog.

Related Posts at Bildungsroman:
Book Review: Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell
Roundtable Discussion: Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell

I am going to try and use this blog as a place to disperse some pertinent information regarding strong publicity tactics. With publishing houses shrinking in staff and budgets dwindling, many authors will have to put their own time and effort into an effective campaign.

Here’s an insider tip:

MAKE YOUR PRESS RELEASE COUNT!

When faced with tight deadlines and mounting article assignments, journalists need as much information as possible at their fingertips. The press release can also spark an idea or give the journalist incentive to include your book in an article or segment they are already working on.

Here are three things a good press release should offer.

1.) What problem will your book or your expertise solve.
2.) Why are you a good authority. Why should you be called on?
3.) Explain what you would like to offer to help solve the problem or bring light to a situation.

As the holidays get closer, the number of special orders we take rises exponentially. I thought I'd take a moment and trace how a special order goe... Read the rest of this post

Before she became a full-time writer, Jacqui Robbins was a first and second grade teacher, a drama teacher and director, an SAT tutor, and a bookseller, among other things. Is it any wonder that we get along so well? I met Jacqui earlier this year, when she hired me to design her website. We had fun painting her virtual walls with stars and stripes. I was glad that she was willing to take part in the Winter Blog Blast Tour, so I could help spread the word of her delightful picture books and forthcoming works.

All of your previous and current professions incorporate reading, writing, and education. For you, what's the most magical part of reading? Of writing? Of teaching?

For me, teaching and theater and writing are very similar. They're all about bringing your audience into your story and making sense of the world. And they all are about letting people know they're not alone. That's the magical part of all three for me.

I agree. Now, for my readers who may not be familiar with the publishing protocol for picture books, would you mind taking us through the process? Did you write and submit The New Girl...and Me as text only, or did you have pictures in place?

I submitted The New Girl...and Me as a completed, text-only manuscript, which is usually how it's done. Unless you are a professional illustrator, the art department at the publishing house will match your story with an artist. This makes some people nervous, handing over their work for someone else to interpret, but it makes me excited. I am a terrible artist and so I'm happy to have someone else make the story complete. Also, I like the challenge of making sure the story stands alone.

Prior to your collaboration on The New Girl...and Me, were you familiar with Matt Phelan's work?

Not at all. The New Girl...and Me was Matt's first book. Our editor, Richard Jackson, sent some sketches Matt did to ask what I thought and I was thrilled. Then, when I saw the final artwork I was amazed; even though there were no art directions in the manuscript, somehow Matt drew the exact pictures I had in my head.

You teamed up with Matt again for Two of a Kind. Did you approach that story or project differently than you had for The New Girl?

What was different for me was that I had the validation of being published. This made it easier to write, because I felt like I "deserved" to call myself a writer. It also made it much harder, because I kept thinking, "What if they find out I'm a phony?!"

The collaboration with Matt was much the same. I still submitted text only for him and he still drew pictures even better than what was in my head. The only difference is that we consulted on what the science project in Two of a Kind looks like. Also, in between the two books, I met Matt face to face and Anna, the main character in Two of a Kind, looks a little bit like me.

Have you ever staged something based on your own writings?

No, but now I want to! Maybe next year, you'll see The New Girl...and Me: The Musical.

If you do, please let me know. I'd be happy to help! What are you presently working on?

I have three different projects going right now: two new picture books and a chapter book that I'm calling a "mystery/adventure story with a hint of romance but not too much." I'd love to write for other ages, but I think maybe my own development got stuck in elementary school.
Hmm. It just occurred to me that all three of my current projects deal with the war between girls and boys. Don't tell my husband.

My lips are sealed. What are your ten favorite books of all time?

Aak! What a question! I'm going to have to answer off the top of my head. These are subject to change, depending on my mood.

Jacqui's Ten Favorite Books This Week, arranged by age:

1. East of Eden, by John Steinbeck (the only novel I have ever read, finished, and then started over again immediately)
2. My collected works of Shakespeare (is that cheating?)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (possibly the best novel ever written)
4. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
5. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
6. Harry Potter & the Sorceror's Stone (I just re-read these because my daughter is obsessed. I know they're everywhere and it's cliché to have them as my favorite, and blah blah blah, but wow, they're really good.)
7. Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen (the perfect marriage of poetry and art)
8. My Fierce Tiger, by James Hepburn (which has been my favorite picture book since I was very young)
9. Goodnight, Gorilla! by Peggy Rathmann
10. Untitled. I am saving this spot for the next book I read, because my favorite book is always partly the one I am holding in my lap, unread and full of possibility.


Visit Jacqui's website and blog.

Visit all of today's tour stops:
Sy Montgomery (Part 1) at Chasing Ray
Jacqui Robbins at Bildungsroman
Sarwat Chadda at Finding Wonderland
Cynthia Leitich Smith at HipWriterMama
Beth Kephart at Shelf Elf

Here's the Bildungsroman schedule for WBBT 2009:
Monday, November 16th: Courtney Sheinmel
Tuesday, November 17th: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Wednesday, November 18th: Jacqui Robbins
Thursday, November 19th: Thomas Randall
Friday, November 20th: Joan Holub

View the full schedule for WBBT 2009.

The dust has finally settled on the 2009 Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair and I am back in Portland and more or less recovered. I'll start with an apology for not posting while there, but the days were very long and I was stretched a bit too thinly.

The evening at the BA was co-sponsored by the BA and the New England Chapter of the ABAA. Rum punch, various wines and (thankfully) water was served in copious amounts and the food was wonderful. Little mushroom puffs, Peking duck, smoked salmon, and lobster on endive were a few of the options. The food was, in fact, so good (and plentiful) that Suzanne and I ended up heading back to the hotel without going out for dinner (a real treat, as it allowed us about 2 or so extra hours of sleep...much needed over the next few days).

We arrived early (around 8ish) the next day at the Hynes Convention Center for set up. Kelmscott Bookshop and we merged two full booths into one 24 foot long booth. This makes a huge difference in the "feel"of the booth...with a trophy case at each end and two counter cases centered at the front, it allows for a very open and inviting space for people. Every bit as importantly, it allows for people to more or less "flow" in and out and avoid having people pass by because a booth is too crowded. Fran and I have similar enough tastes that everything hangs together nicely while different enough that I do not think we have ever had duplicative material.

Today's Hits: the dictionary gets unfriendly. palin's rogue facts. from here to eternity too gay? a graphic demise for coffee table publisher. and more. The Unfriendliest Year: The New Oxford American Dictionary has selected its Word of the Year — which seems a little unfair, as a truly awe-inspiring new word still has about a [...]

When I tell people that I was in a sorority in college (which is admittedly pretty rare), they assume I'm the type of person who refers to 100 people as my "sisters." Instead, I was the one who would fall asleep during initiation ceremonies, roll my eyes when we'd recite our little chants (or whatever [...]