Lost States:
True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States That Never Made It
by Michael J. Trinklein
Quirk Books 2010
What if the United States had accepted every proposal to form a new state? One really messed up flag, that's for sure!
Growing up in Southern California it is hard not to notice that there is a simmering animosity with neighbors to the north. It isn't so much
I was told in an ever-so-brief e-mail yesterday. Strangely, the note didn't do a thing to discourage me from the work I am doing to tell William's story in a
Dangerous Neighbors prequel. Most importantly, perhaps, because I just love this book—the guy-oriented nature of it, the pretty fascinating history behind it, and the way it visits me, late at night (my characters inside my dreams, my dreams beginning alongside a mess of noisy railroad tracks, in the clamor of a newsroom, in the rescue of a red heifer). But also because when I look around I see books I've loved—historical novels for young adults—that are absolutely thriving.
Let's consider
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Ransom Riggs), a Quirk publication, now in its seventh week on the
New York Times bestseller list (I'm 70 pages in and loving the mix of image and story; expect a full report tomorrow). Let's talk about Ruta Sepetys'
Between Shades of Gray, a book that led me to the marvelous Tamra Tuller of Philomel, and which, in its very first week, debuted on the
New York Times list. Let's talk about
The Book Thief, one of my favorite books of all time, still number one on the list, or, for that matter, the award-winning, bestselling
The Good Thief, still generating much enthusiasm.
Libba Bray didn't do too badly with
The Sweet Far Thing or
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rita Williams-Garcia was deservedly rewarded for her basically perfect
One Crazy Summer, and I recall—do you as well?—a certain series of historical novels featuring glamorously clad society heroines that rocked the lists for a very long time.
Then there are those adult books, historical novels all, with which we are so familiar—
Devil in the White City, The Help, Water for Elephants, The Paris Wife, Loving Frank, so many others—that locked in their places in book clubs and on lists. Struggle isn't a word that I would apply to them.
I believe, in other words, that there is room for those of us out here who have fallen in love with a time and place and have a story to tell. I've been barely able to breathe under a load of corporate work lately. But the first chance I get, I'm returning to William. I left him in a saloon down on Broad Street named Norris House. He's been hankering for some dinner. I've got ideas about a multi-media launch. And this kind of fun is worth having.
100 Best Beach Books Ever: Final Voting
Help NPR narrow down it’s list of listerner-nomiated Best Beach Books Ever. The list of the top 100 titles will be announced on July 29.
How much do you know about literary spies?
Test your knowledge of literary espionage in Guardian’s challenging quiz (I scored 6 out of 10, a score that Guardian described as this: Mediocre. You have some intelligence, but this stuff is so widely known that you are an essentially worthless asset). Here’s hoping you fare better on the quiz!
Quirk Announces Follow-Up to ‘P&P&Z’ – Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
Quirk announced its next entry in its Quirk Classics series, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, another a Jane Austen mashup which will be published on September 15. Also, check out the Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (S&S&SM?) book trailer.
Planning a staycation this year?
Staycation is one of 100 new words that have been added to the 2009 update Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Also making the list were waterboarding, vlog, carbon footprint, flash mob, frenemy, locavore and webisode.
61 essential postmodern reads: an annotated list
Check out Jacket Copy’s list, complete with an annotated key as to what elements make each title fit in the postmodern category.
Night of the Living Trekkies. Kevin David Anderson & Sam Stall. 2010. July 2010. Quirk Publishing. 256 pages.
It was late winter of 2009, and Jim Pike was in Afghanistan. Jim Pike, our narrator and a war veteran, is working security for a Houston hotel hosting GulfCon, a Star Trek Convention. But this convention will soon be unlike any other--for the convention--and eventually Houston itself--will be overrun with zombies. Pike teams up with an assorted crew of survivors--many Trekkies--their mission is to survive long enough to escape Houston, for they fear that when help comes, it will not be a distinguishing help. It's dramatic; it's violent; it's funny.
I am not a fan of zombie novels. I'm not. I am not a big fan of violence--blood, guts, etc. But I am a Star Trek fan. And I can appreciate a good, quirky read. So while this one may not be for everyone, I enjoyed spending an afternoon with this one.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By: David Elzey,
on 10/26/2011
By: Beth Kephart ,
on 8/6/2011
By: Katie B.,
on 7/17/2009
By: Becky Laney,
on 2/22/2011
I've been thinking that historical fiction is particularly vital at this time. Including all the books you mentioned, there are Wolf's Hall, The Golden Mean and many others.
You are so right, Lilian!
I've heard it's both struggling and making a rebound. Such a strange, interesting world publishing is!
I'm still astounded (and so grateful) my least marketable book was the first to sell and have to believe there are enough historical fiction fans to keep the genre alive.
Thank you, Beth, for listing my May along with these greats!
Kai says he loved Leonardo's Shadow. You hang in there and show them they are wrong!
I adore historical fiction (though my book is contemporary), and think that unlike some of the other genres that are so popular right now, historical fiction will outlast them all...it might dwindle a little bit but we will always need to go back and revisit history and honestly, I think there is something in each of us that will always yearn to read about the past...about a time that we have never experienced ourselves, and a time that we can never go back to. Thank you to all of you historical fiction writers!
I love your response to that short email! The gusto reminds me of Louisa May Alcott, whose novel about girls both she and editor had little expectation of selling.
Although I tend to prefer contemporary fiction, I have 3 historical novels in my to read stack. Caleb's Crossing was your recommendation. The Invisible Bridge was my 16 year old son's recommendation and my 13 year old daughter recommended Sarah's Key to me. Keep writing, Beth.
Did you see this post at YA Highway: http://www.yahighway.com/2011/08/5-tips-on-writing-outside-your-gender.html
The post is by a debut author in Japanese feudal steampunk written by a man with a teen girl MC.
That comment is bogus. You've more than proved it wrong in this intelligent response. I'm intrigued about this 'multi-media' approach to your new book. Can I start making talking toys and an app for it? ;-)
Hopefully those who use market trends to decide what gets published will catch on to the latest trend: good books. Regardless of genre or trend it's all a reader asks for.
Waiting for the "good story" trend to catch on. It's all a reader asks for, regardless of the market.