We at NYMBC headquarters are sooo excited because tonight --

TONIGHT --

at 7pm at Books Inc. in Palo Alto...

Live, in person...



OMGSQUEEEEEE

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Sean Beaudoin author of Going Nowhere Faster visits to present his latest YA novel FADE TO BLUE a wickedly funny mystery which is sure to keep you guessing until the last page.

Wednesday 9/16 at Books Inc. Opera Plaza 7pm

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Sean Beaudoin author of Going Nowhere Faster visits to present his latest YA novel FADE TO BLUE a wickedly funny mystery which is sure to keep you guessing until the last page.

Wednesday 9/16 at Books Inc. Opera Plaza 7pm

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Our NYMBterview today is with Allen Zadoff, the author of the hilarious FOOD, GIRLS & OTHER THINGS I CAN'T HAVE, which debuts today.

Hi Allen! I read Food Girls etc, it was hilarious. For the readers who aren't familiar yet, can you just tell a tiny bit about the book?

FOOD, GIRLS is about Andrew Zansky, a 306.4 pound sophomore who is struggling to fit in to his school, his pants, and his life. He reinvents himself by playing football and pursuing the girl of his dreams. I like to think of it as a love story, a sports story, and a food story all rolled into one. Like a giant literary calzone.

I know that you previously wrote a memoir about your weight issues. So, let me ask you this -- how close (in experience or personality) is the fictional Andrew Zansky to the real Allen Zadoff?

You might say this book is “faction” instead of fiction. The story is made up, but it’s very much inspired by my experiences as an overweight teen. A lot of the details come right out of my life. For example, Andy not fitting into the desk/chair combos in class, worrying about the size on his jeans, and overeating when he feels angry and upset. I had similar problems in high school. I was very concerned with my body and weight, especially as it impacted my romantic life. And the basis for the story comes directly from something that happened my sophomore year. I was approached by the gym coach who said, “Have you ever thought about playing football?” At the time I felt insulted, like he was making fun of how big I was. Only years later did it occur to me that he saw my size as a possible asset, and he was trying to help me and the team. FOOD, GIRLS asks the question, what might have happened if I’d said yes instead of no? Would I have had an entirely different high school career? In the novel, Andy plays football and gains a new relationship to his body because “big” is a good thing on the football field. I never had that experience. For me, being big was just painful.

You are new at the YA writing game, and I understand that your background is in theatre. Can you tell us a bit about that? Are you still involved with the theatre?

I loved the theater when I was a kid. I was an actor all through high school, and like many theater people, I experienced freedom on stage pretending to be someone else, the kind of freedom I never felt when I was just being myself. For me the theater started as an escape, turned into a love affair, and ultimately became a serious artistic discipline. I began directing in college and I was Artistic Director of the undergraduate theater group at Cornell University. Later I went to graduate school at Harvard and studied directing. I like to say I lived the first 26 years of my life in a 99-seat black box theater. The black box was a playground for my creative ideas. Now the playground is writing on my MacBook Air. Sadly, theater is all but out of my life now. I sometimes fantasize about directing a play again, but the right opportunity hasn’t presented itself.

Do you think that your theatre background informs the way you tackle writing YA?

My sense of drama and timing was definitely influenced by my theater training. I learned comedy from Molière, Shakespeare, even Neil Simon. Later I studied clowning, commedia, and improvisation. I still love great dialogue, not for it’s own sake, but for the purpose of revealing character and conflict. I feel very comfortable writing people talking to each other. I hear their voices in my head. I think it comes from all those years listening to voices in the theater.

How did you end up writing a YA book, anyway? Do you read a lot of YA?

It’s not so much that I read YA, it’s more like I am YA. I feel very connected to my fifteen-year-old self. I feel like the adult and the child co-exist together in me, and when I start to write a character in that age range, the voice comes out organically. I don’t have to try and write like a teenager, I just let my natural voice emerge. Ironically, I’ve read much more YA since becoming a YA author than I ever did before. I'm amazed by how good the genre is today. It's very inspiring.

What have been the most influential books of your life?

I don’t know if it’s one particular book that got me so much as it is reading in general. I had an incredible second grade teacher who used to read out loud to us in class. She read part of The Hobbit, the first book from the Lord of the Rings cycle. When she was done, she said, “When you get older, class, you can read the rest of this book and the others in the series.” I was so angry that she thought we weren’t old enough to read the books, I immediately forced my mother to take me to the bookstore to buy The Hobbit. Honestly, it was very hard for me to get through at that age. My teacher was right! But I was stubborn. So I read that book and many more after it. I remember reading a lot of classics like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Island of Blue Dolphins, My Side of the Mountain, The Wind in the Willows, and Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. I loved the way great books could transport you into another world.

If you were going to give a piece of advice to a teenager who is an aspiring writer, what would it be?

I would tell aspiring writers to write. Write every day. Tell your stories and let that be your focus. Don’t worry about success, publishing, contests, etc. All of that stuff will come later. Let go of trying to write well, and just write.

Do you have a "soundtrack" for the book? (This can be either stuff you listened to a lot while writing, or a playlist that you think evokes the spirit of the book...)

This is a great question because I listen to music constantly when I write. When I was writing FOOD, GIRLS, I was listening to The Killers, particularly the album “Sam’s Town”. It’s a big, story-based album, kind of melodramatic. But I dig it.

If you could have anything you like as a last meal, what would it be?

Well, I’ve got an unusual answer to that question. After spending so much of my life eating to the point of coma, I’ve sort of lost the right to eat for thrills. So I’d have to say I’d like my last meal to be sane and delicious. Maybe the perfect piece of grilled fish from Souen, a Japanese restaurant in New York City.

What is next for you?

I’m working on a second novel for Egmont-USA that will take place in the theater. Beyond that, my lips are sealed. :)

Thanks for stopping by, Allen!

Buy FOOD, GIRLS & OTHER THINGS I CAN'T HAVE from a very nice independent bookstore.

Visit Allen Zadoff on the web!

Follow Allen on Twitter.

Praise for FOOD, GIRLS & OTHER THINGS I CAN'T HAVE:

"I admit it: I have a cougar crush on Andrew Zansky. I fell for his genial self-deprecation, his sly sense of humor and his hunger for love, food and acceptance. He finds his cravings satisfied by the most important person in his life – himself. Allen Zadoff has written a zesty young adult novel that grownups are sure to relish." - Wendy Shanker, The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life

"a fun and hilarious romp through high school" - YA Books Central

"thoughtful and refreshing" - School Library Journal

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Our NYMBterview today is with Allen Zadoff, the author of the hilarious FOOD, GIRLS & OTHER THINGS I CAN'T HAVE, which debuts today.

Hi Allen! I read Food Girls etc, it was hilarious. For the readers who aren't familiar yet, can you just tell a tiny bit about the book?

FOOD, GIRLS is about Andrew Zansky, a 306.4 pound sophomore who is struggling to fit in to his school, his pants, and his life. He reinvents himself by playing football and pursuing the girl of his dreams. I like to think of it as a love story, a sports story, and a food story all rolled into one. Like a giant literary calzone.

I know that you previously wrote a memoir about your weight issues. So, let me ask you this -- how close (in experience or personality) is the fictional Andrew Zansky to the real Allen Zadoff?

You might say this book is “faction” instead of fiction. The story is made up, but it’s very much inspired by my experiences as an overweight teen. A lot of the details come right out of my life. For example, Andy not fitting into the desk/chair combos in class, worrying about the size on his jeans, and overeating when he feels angry and upset. I had similar problems in high school. I was very concerned with my body and weight, especially as it impacted my romantic life. And the basis for the story comes directly from something that happened my sophomore year. I was approached by the gym coach who said, “Have you ever thought about playing football?” At the time I felt insulted, like he was making fun of how big I was. Only years later did it occur to me that he saw my size as a possible asset, and he was trying to help me and the team. FOOD, GIRLS asks the question, what might have happened if I’d said yes instead of no? Would I have had an entirely different high school career? In the novel, Andy plays football and gains a new relationship to his body because “big” is a good thing on the football field. I never had that experience. For me, being big was just painful.

You are new at the YA writing game, and I understand that your background is in theatre. Can you tell us a bit about that? Are you still involved with the theatre?

I loved the theater when I was a kid. I was an actor all through high school, and like many theater people, I experienced freedom on stage pretending to be someone else, the kind of freedom I never felt when I was just being myself. For me the theater started as an escape, turned into a love affair, and ultimately became a serious artistic discipline. I began directing in college and I was Artistic Director of the undergraduate theater group at Cornell University. Later I went to graduate school at Harvard and studied directing. I like to say I lived the first 26 years of my life in a 99-seat black box theater. The black box was a playground for my creative ideas. Now the playground is writing on my MacBook Air. Sadly, theater is all but out of my life now. I sometimes fantasize about directing a play again, but the right opportunity hasn’t presented itself.

Do you think that your theatre background informs the way you tackle writing YA?

My sense of drama and timing was definitely influenced by my theater training. I learned comedy from Molière, Shakespeare, even Neil Simon. Later I studied clowning, commedia, and improvisation. I still love great dialogue, not for it’s own sake, but for the purpose of revealing character and conflict. I feel very comfortable writing people talking to each other. I hear their voices in my head. I think it comes from all those years listening to voices in the theater.

How did you end up writing a YA book, anyway? Do you read a lot of YA?

It’s not so much that I read YA, it’s more like I am YA. I feel very connected to my fifteen-year-old self. I feel like the adult and the child co-exist togethe

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Not Your Mother's Book Club welcomes KING DORK author and Mr T Experience songster Frank Portman to launch his hotly anticipated new novel ANDROMEDA KLEIN, the story of a girl whose tarot readings are beginning to predict events with bizarrely literal accuracy.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 7:00 pm
Books Inc. Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness Ave, SF
415-776-1111

Free, Open to the Public

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Not Your Mother's Book Club welcomes KING DORK author and Mr T Experience songster Frank Portman to launch his hotly anticipated new novel ANDROMEDA KLEIN, the story of a girl whose tarot readings are beginning to predict events with bizarrely literal accuracy.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 7:00 pm
Books Inc. Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness Ave, SF
415-776-1111

Free, Open to the Public

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GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray is one of the weirdest, funniest and just plain wtfingest books I've ever read. I was perplexed, I was dazzled, I was confused, and I loved it. It is NOTHING like her other books. In fact it is nothing like ANY other books. But it is something very special all its own. Just like this trailer is. LOVE LIBBA!

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GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray is one of the weirdest, funniest and just plain wtfingest books I've ever read. I was perplexed, I was dazzled, I was confused, and I loved it. It is NOTHING like her other books. In fact it is nothing like ANY other books. But it is something very special all its own. Just like this trailer is. LOVE LIBBA!

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Hey Vampire fans, tomorrow night NYMBC is getting it's freaky vamp on with Richelle Mead and Lili St. Crow in Palo Alto - Join us! This event will be free, open to the public, and filled with cupcakes. Yay!

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Hey Vampire fans, tomorrow night NYMBC is getting it's freaky vamp on with Richelle Mead and Lili St. Crow in Palo Alto - Join us! This event will be free, open to the public, and filled with cupcakes. Yay!

Add a Comment

I'm in the new Publishers Weekly talking about one of my fave upcoming books, ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr.

With a Mom in rehab, and a pastor Dad who knows a lot more about shepherding his congregation than taking care of his own family, Samara feels like her whole world is falling apart. When a girl in her town is kidnapped, Sam latches on to the case as a way to feel useful and a part of something bigger than herself—but nobody in town is beyond suspicion, even the people that Sam trusts most. This is both an emotionally resonant novel about a crisis of faith, and an utterly absorbing mystery, and it is Zarr’s most accomplished book yet.

Once Was Lost (Little, Brown, Oct.) is a deceptively slim book, and the mystery element propels the story forward briskly, so it will be appealing for reluctant readers. There is a bit of a romance, and some definitely creepy insinuations about what might’ve happened to the abducted girl—but though there are complex themes, it is still a “clean read.” I recommend it for teenagers (and adults!) who like realistic, contemporary relationship-based fiction such as books by Sarah Dessen and Beth Kephart. It would also make a fantastic YA mother-daughter book club pick. (And I suggest that you have Kleenex with you when you read it!)

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I'm in the new Publishers Weekly talking about one of my fave upcoming books, ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr.

With a Mom in rehab, and a pastor Dad who knows a lot more about shepherding his congregation than taking care of his own family, Samara feels like her whole world is falling apart. When a girl in her town is kidnapped, Sam latches on to the case as a way to feel useful and a part of something bigger than herself—but nobody in town is beyond suspicion, even the people that Sam trusts most. This is both an emotionally resonant novel about a crisis of faith, and an utterly absorbing mystery, and it is Zarr’s most accomplished book yet.

Once Was Lost (Little, Brown, Oct.) is a deceptively slim book, and the mystery element propels the story forward briskly, so it will be appealing for reluctant readers. There is a bit of a romance, and some definitely creepy insinuations about what might’ve happened to the abducted girl—but though there are complex themes, it is still a “clean read.” I recommend it for teenagers (and adults!) who like realistic, contemporary relationship-based fiction such as books by Sarah Dessen and Beth Kephart. It would also make a fantastic YA mother-daughter book club pick. (And I suggest that you have Kleenex with you when you read it!)

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Coming 12/22/09 from Bloomsbury...

Nimira is a music-hall girl used to dancing for pennies. So when wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing accompaniment to a mysterious piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it will be the start of a better life. In Parry's world, long-buried secrets are about to stir. Unsettling rumors begin to swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement in a group of corrupt sorcerers for whom the rules of the living and dead are meant to be broken for greater power. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing fairy gentleman is trapped within the automaton, she is determined to break the curse. But even as the two fall into a love that seems hopeless, breaking the curse becomes a perilous race against time. Because it's not just the future of these star-crossed lovers that's at stake, but the fate of the entire magical world.

Want to win an ARC with original sketches from the author inside? See http://fabulousfrock.livejournal.com for details!

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Coming 12/22/09 from Bloomsbury...

Nimira is a music-hall girl used to dancing for pennies. So when wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing accompaniment to a mysterious piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it will be the start of a better life. In Parry's world, long-buried secrets are about to stir. Unsettling rumors begin to swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement in a group of corrupt sorcerers for whom the rules of the living and dead are meant to be broken for greater power. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing fairy gentleman is trapped within the automaton, she is determined to break the curse. But even as the two fall into a love that seems hopeless, breaking the curse becomes a perilous race against time. Because it's not just the future of these star-crossed lovers that's at stake, but the fate of the entire magical world.

Want to win an ARC with original sketches from the author inside? See http://fabulousfrock.livejournal.com for details!

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Yayyyyy!

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Yayyyyy!

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We had such great fun last year when Friend-of-NYMBC Stephanie Kuehnert visited us for the release of her punk-rock novel I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE that we just had to sit down with Stephanie to talk a bit about her latest, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA, which is hot off the presses from MTV Books.

"With her first two novels, Kuehnert has created vivid pictures of teenage lives that lie in that borderland that abuts adulthood. It is a fertile, confusing and intense place, and Kuehnert never holds back. But like a good ballad, she keeps the stories taut and precise, with a touch of heart thrown in for good measure." - Chicago Sun-Times

Hey Stephanie! As you know, we were big fans of I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE. Could you tell us a little about BALLADS OF SUBURBIA?

Well, the back cover blurb sums it up best:

Kara hasn’t been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park. . . .

Amidst the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

So basically I use music in a different way than in IWBYJR. These confessions that Kara and her friends make are their "ballads." Because nothing is more honest and raw than a really good song, right? Kara confronts some hard truths in this book; she copes with depression, self-injury, and addiction. It's ultimately a book about trying to find your way despite the challenges life throws at you as a teenager.

Obviously music (punk rock especially) has a huge influence on your writing. Were you ever in a band, or are you more of a fan?

I'm more of a fan. I tried to learn how to play guitar, but I kept getting distracted by reading and writing and I never practiced. I had concepts of bands, not actual bands. So I lived out my rock n roll fantasies through Emily in IWBYJR.

So as a fan, how do you think the "punk" scene today compares to the scene you came up in?

It seems a little milder. I don't see as many circle pits and crowd surfing at shows anymore but that could be a venue thing. Since I came up with punk in the early nineties, I saw the whole division between "mainstream" and supposed authentic punk. I bought into it for a while too, but I don't believe in selling out. I don't think it's terrible when a band gets radio play and is exposed to a larger audience. I definitely think both now and then that there are people who are just into punk for the fashion or to be part of a trend. Punk never has been and never will be about fashion. It's about a mentality. That kid who looks completely normal could be totally punk on the inside because he relates to what is being sung about in the songs, he knows how it feels to be on the outside. My favorite definition of punk rock comes from Kurt Cobain, who of course many will dismiss as not punk, but he was an outcast kid in a small town listening to Black Flag so how could he not be. He said, "Punk Rock is freedom." And it is. It's the freedom to be yourself and express yourself, to be angry when you need to be and have fun when you need it. That's how it was in the 70s, the 90s and now.

What kind of music do you love now?

I love all kinds. I still mainly listen to punk and my favorite newer bands are Civet (an all-girl punk quartet) and Rise Against. I also listen to a lot of late 80s/early 90s alternative rock. Nirvana will always be my favorite band. I'm rediscovering bands like Mazzy Star and Belly right now. But I also listen to blues (Robert Johnson and Leadbelly) and older country (Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn). So I've expanded my tastes from when I was a teenager.

Let's talk a bit about you as a teenager. Do you ever wish you could go back and do high school over again?

No! I hated high school. It was a terrible, painful time, BUT I learned a ton from it and it made me into the person I am today so I wouldn't want to do it over to fix things. I revisit high school only through my characters.... none of whom really seem to spend all too much time actually in school, now do they....

Ha! OK, fess up - what's the biggest fashion crime you've committed over the years?

Honestly, the biggest crime was the period in fifth grade where I was just trying to fit in and I wore boring white sneakers and boring plain pocket-tees from the Gap. By all outward appearances it was not a crime at all. It looked nice and it was normal. But it wasn't me. So that was the crime. I probably wore some hideous clothes (thinking of an orange, flapper-style dress that I got from the thrift store and wore with purple fishnets) later on in life, but at least I loved them and enjoyed wearing them!

Now a couple questions for the grownups: You're a bartender - what is your fave cocktail to make?

I love inventing new drinks. My bar is called the Beacon, so I created the Red Beacon (with So-Co and Amaretto), the Blue Beacon (with UV Blue vodka), the Green Beacon (with Midori and Blue Curacao), the Yellow Beacon (with Malibu), and the Orange Beacon (with passionfruit vodka and Midori). All are yummy and fun to make. What can I say, I've got to bring creativity to work with me.

You live in Chicago - what is your favorite hidden gem in the city?

It was the Fireside Bowl, which was my favorite place to see punk shows, but that is long gone. Most of the place I see shows now aren't too hidden, but there's this new place, Reggies, that's south of the loop, outside of any "hip" neighborhoods that has the feel of a warehouse or garage. I'm digging it. And my favorite hidden restaurant gem is Tamarind in the South Loop.

OK. Sorry for the tangent - now back to business! Did you know that you were writing YA when you started?

No, I didn't. I knew I was writing the books that I was looking to read as a teenager, but as a teenager I mostly read adult books. I wrote with the hope that both teens and adults would enjoy my books. I still hope that's the case, but I'm proud to be a YA author. I think some of the best books in modern literature are YA. They are certainly the most honest and heartfelt.

What are the challenges (or joys) of having a teen readership?

Mostly, I see the joys. There is nothing better than having a teen tell me how much they related to or were inspired by one of my characters because I still remember being a teenager and seeking that feeling, looking for a reflection of my feelings in a book or a song. So to know that I can do that for some teens. Wow, that's an amazing feeling. As for challenges, that brings us to the next question....

Yep... speaking of challenges! Do you ever worry that the "sex, drugs & rock-n-roll" in your books will get you in trouble with parents or librarians? Have you gotten any flack for "adult" content?

I haven't gotten flack yet, but I do worry about it and that worry is the one major challenge of writing for teens. But for the most part I put that worry aside. I'm an incredibly honest person. So honest it certainly has gotten me in trouble in the past (especially as a teen!) I absolutely refuse to dumb down or sugarcoat things for the sake of my audience. I think my audience would be mad if I did! Teens are smart and they are very aware of the realities of the world. They want to think about and talk about the issues that I bring up in my books. At least this is what I've noticed from the teens I've talked to and from what I remember of me and my friends as teens. Fortunately there seems to be more room for discussion than when I was a teen. I've met a ton of supportive librarians and teachers and booksellers. I'm sure I'll come across some controversy in the future, but I say bring it. I will always be true to my characters and my audience.

So, what are you reading right now?

I'm reading both The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (Ed note: Both Friends-of-NYMBC! This was not planned! Woohoo!)

Finally, we have a ton of aspiring writers who visit Not Your Mother's Book Club. If you could give a piece of advice to a teen writer, what would it be?

Keep reading, it's the best place to learn new tricks and come up with new ideas. And when you think a book is ready find some trusted individuals to give you feedback. As a teen, I used to just submit things blindly after one draft, thinking they were done. I finally learned that I needed to do multiple drafts and the best way to flesh out my drafts was to have other people read them because they could see the holes where I just filled it in in my mind with what I already knew about the story. Still to this day, I have four people who read my stuff aside from my editor and agent. Their advice has been incredibly valuable.

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Stephanie. We can't wait to get our hands on the book!

Click here to visit Stephanie's home on the Web.

Click here to order Stephanie's books from a very nice independent bookstore!

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We had such great fun last year when Friend-of-NYMBC Stephanie Kuehnert visited us for the release of her punk-rock novel I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE that we just had to sit down with Stephanie to talk a bit about her latest, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA, which is hot off the presses from MTV Books.

"With her first two novels, Kuehnert has created vivid pictures of teenage lives that lie in that borderland that abuts adulthood. It is a fertile, confusing and intense place, and Kuehnert never holds back. But like a good ballad, she keeps the stories taut and precise, with a touch of heart thrown in for good measure." - Chicago Sun-Times

Hey Stephanie! As you know, we were big fans of I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE. Could you tell us a little about BALLADS OF SUBURBIA?

Well, the back cover blurb sums it up best:

Kara hasn’t been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park. . . .

Amidst the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

So basically I use music in a different way than in IWBYJR. These confessions that Kara and her friends make are their "ballads." Because nothing is more honest and raw than a really good song, right? Kara confronts some hard truths in this book; she copes with depression, self-injury, and addiction. It's ultimately a book about trying to find your way despite the challenges life throws at you as a teenager.

Obviously music (punk rock especially) has a huge influence on your writing. Were you ever in a band, or are you more of a fan?

I'm more of a fan. I tried to learn how to play guitar, but I kept getting distracted by reading and writing and I never practiced. I had concepts of bands, not actual bands. So I lived out my rock n roll fantasies through Emily in IWBYJR.

So as a fan, how do you think the "punk" scene today compares to the scene you came up in?

It seems a little milder. I don't see as many circle pits and crowd surfing at shows anymore but that could be a venue thing. Since I came up with punk in the early nineties, I saw the whole division between "mainstream" and supposed authentic punk. I bought into it for a while too, but I don't believe in selling out. I don't think it's terrible when a band gets radio play and is exposed to a larger audience. I definitely think both now and then that there are people who are just into punk for the fashion or to be part of a trend. Punk never has been and never will be about fashion. It's about a mentality. That kid who looks completely normal could be totally punk on the inside because he relates to what is being sung about in the songs, he knows how it feels to be on the outside. My favo

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Click the links to pre-order any of these titles! (August 1 books are actually already available in-store if you want to just stop by or order to be shipped today).

Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink – Little Brown Aug 1 - Recently orphaned, 16-year-old Lia Milthorpe discovers she and her twin sister Alice are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. WE SAY: - Witchy good fun!

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater – Scholastic Aug 1 During winter, Sam lives in the frozen woods as a yellow-eyed wolf. In summer, he lives a few precious months as a human. Soon, Sam and his human true love Grace find themselves risking everything to remain together. WE SAY: Sooooo Romantic, and if you don't cry, you are DEAD inside!

Jumping Off Swings - Jo Knowles – Candlewick Aug 11 Four friends. One pregnancy. Told alternately from each character's point of view, this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one girl's life--and the realities of leaving innocence behind. WE SAY: Oh gosh this one is heartbreaking, but beautiful.

Andromeda Klein - Frank Portman – RH Aug 25 The author of "King Dork" introduces Andromeda Klein, a quiet, bookish girl with an unexciting life--until strangely and suddenly, her tarot readings have begun to predict events with bizarrely literal accuracy. WE SAY: A cool dark comedy.

Tricks- Ellen Hopkins – S&S Aug 25 A "New York Times"-bestselling author delivers a new work of verse that tells five moving stories about teen prostitution that interweave to form a powerful and gripping narrative. WE SAY: Well what CAN we say about Ellen's work? One word: CHILLS.

SOOO... What did we miss? What are YOU dying to read this coming month?

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Click the links to pre-order any of these titles! (August 1 books are actually already available in-store if you want to just stop by or order to be shipped today).

Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink – Little Brown Aug 1 - Recently orphaned, 16-year-old Lia Milthorpe discovers she and her twin sister Alice are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. WE SAY: - Witchy good fun!

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater – Scholastic Aug 1 During winter, Sam lives in the frozen woods as a yellow-eyed wolf. In summer, he lives a few precious months as a human. Soon, Sam and his human true love Grace find themselves risking everything to remain together. WE SAY: Sooooo Romantic, and if you don't cry, you are DEAD inside!

Jumping Off Swings - Jo Knowles – Candlewick Aug 11 Four friends. One pregnancy. Told alternately from each character's point of view, this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one girl's life--and the realities of leaving innocence behind. WE SAY: Oh gosh this one is heartbreaking, but beautiful.

Andromeda Klein - Frank Portman – RH Aug 25 The author of "King Dork" introduces Andromeda Klein, a quiet, bookish girl with an unexciting life--until strangely and suddenly, her tarot readings have begun to predict events with bizarrely literal accuracy. WE SAY: A cool dark comedy.

Tricks- Ellen Hopkins – S&S Aug 25 A "New York Times"-bestselling author delivers a new work of verse that tells five moving stories about teen prostitution that interweave to form a powerful and gripping narrative. WE SAY: Well what CAN we say about Ellen's work? One word: CHILLS.

SOOO... What did we miss? What are YOU dying to read this coming month?

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Thursday August 27, 7pm
VAMIRES, ZOMBIES & DEMONS (OH MY!)
with Richelle Mead and Lili St. Crow
Books Inc. Town & Country
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto



Tuesday September 8, 7pm
An Evening with Frank Portman - ANDROMEDA KLEIN, KING DORK
Books Inc. Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness, SF

Wednesday October 7, 7pm
An Evening with Kristin Cashore - FIRE, GRACELING
Books Inc. Town & Country
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Friday Oct 30, 7pm
HALLOWEEN BALL
with House of Night authors PC & Kristin Cast
Books Inc. Town & Country
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Friday November 13, 7pm
NYMBC'S THIRD ANNUAL FALL BOOK BASH
with Sara Zarr, Barry Lyga, Andrew Smith,
LK Madigan & Allen Zadoff
Books Inc. Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness Ave, SF

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Thursday August 27, 7pm
VAMIRES, ZOMBIES & DEMONS (OH MY!)
with Richelle Mead and Lili St. Crow
Books Inc. Town & Country
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto



Tuesday September 8, 7pm
An Evening with Frank Portman - ANDROMEDA KLEIN, KING DORK
Books Inc. Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness, SF

Wednesday October 7, 7pm
An Evening with Kristin Cashore - FIRE, GRACELING
Books Inc. Town & Country
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Friday Oct 30, 7pm
HALLOWEEN BALL
with House of Night authors PC & Kristin Cast
Books Inc. Town & Country
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Friday November 13, 7pm
NYMBC'S THIRD ANNUAL FALL BOOK BASH
with Sara Zarr, Barry Lyga, Andrew Smith,
LK Madigan & Allen Zadoff
Books Inc. Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness Ave, SF

Add a Comment

Pre-order CATCHING FIRE today!

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Pre-order CATCHING FIRE today!

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