Colleen Mondor isn't just the force behind
Chasing Ray, and she isn't just an author in her own right. She is also a Bookslut reviewer—writing, for the rest of us, some of the most thoughtful reviews around. I spoke, at the Book Blogger Convention, about reviews that writers learn from. I learned so much from
these words about The Heart is Not a Size that I have reprinted them in full, hoping that Bookslut and Colleen don't mind. Colleen gives me cause (gives me strength) to continue to fight for a place for stories for "the quiet ones out there." That can be an enervating fight, a struggle that can at times overwhelm a writer like me. It is also an endeavor with enormous rewards. I am so grateful, Colleen, that you have reminded me of this.
From the review (and please follow the link for all of the reviews in Colleen's remarkable column this month, titled, "No Laughing Matter.")
Sometimes being a teenager is not just hard, it’s scary. Here is a stack of books about how serious the teen years can be, and why our younger selves deserve a lot more empathy then most adults are willing to give.
Beth Kephart is a National Book Award nominee who, in recent years, has been creating a name for herself as the writer who slices through the dramatics of teen life, and dwells instead on the quiet wonderment and worry of being a girl. While she does not neglect that age-old struggle to fit in, or defiantly embrace outsider status, her stories are much less about what everyone else wants and thinks, and instead look at the seriousness of being an individual. Her girls must find their way, and more often than not, that means letting go of what others hope and want for them. These are worrying girls, concerned girls, girls who want to do the right thing for everybody, but all too often find they cannot, because, after all, no one can. That is when Kephart’s girls grow up, and when readers who are just like them discover their own paths forward as well.
In
The Heart Is Not a Size, Kephart introduces Georgia, who has a very nice family; a fun, creative best friend in Riley; and academic achievements that make college an obvious choice. She also is being bodyslammed by panic attacks that defy all efforts at control. Georgia is losing her grip, and because she is holding on so tightly to her own worries, she cannot reach out to Riley, who is literally (and figuratively) losing herself.
In a desperate bid for authenticity, Georgia urges Riley to sign up with a group of volunteers who are traveling to Juarez, Mexico, to build a community washroom. It is, she thinks, the ultimate opportunity to gain “release from the narrow outlines of my life.” Georgia is half convinced she is going crazy, but doesn’t know how to stop the rollercoaster her achievement-oriented life has become. With a little arm twisting, Riley is along for the ride, which Georgia thinks is a good thing. Maybe Juarez will be a way for her to save her friend also, or at the very least, to force Riley to admit what she is doing to herself.
How many times do you want to hear that the events this last week was amazing, incredible, went beyond expectations? The week was absolutely amazing and made even more fun by the fact that I'd made friends on Monday during the publishing house tours. Instead of gushing which is likely to bore you, I'll share some of the things that I learned and links to other write-ups that you'll likely find useful and entertaining.
Monday and Tuesday with the publishing house tours that were organized by Yen and organizers of the Book Blogger Convention. We given the unique opportunity to visit and chat with folks from Bloomsbury Press, Picador, Scholastic and Penguin. Wednesday and Thursday were all about BEA 2010. BEA is overwhelming and I'm glad to go around with Angela of
Dark Fairie Tales and
Tonia of Literary Cravings. We'd met during the publishing house tours on Monday and found that we got along really well. (Meeting new people was a major highlight of my week!) There were receptions as well. On Wednesday night Harper Collins sponsored a Celebration of Book Bloggers at the Algonquin Hotel. On Thursday the Book Blogger Convention began with a reception from 4 to 6 at the Javitz Center. I heard that the Book Blogger Convention reception was packed with interesting people - many of whom didn't attend the BBC - and it was a highlight for bloggers. Friday was devoted to the Book Blogger Convention and a nice way to round off the week.
BEA 2010I got up extra early every morning to line up for the tickets to book signings by the most coveted authors. Waking up at 4:30 a.m. and getting to the Javitz by 5:30 am, I was often either the first person or second person in line. You don't actually have to get there that early to be sure to get tickets, it's just that I would have been disappointed if I'd slept in an extra 30 minutes and missed the last ticket for Lee Child or Rick Riordan. (I ended up giving away my ticket to the Rick Riordan signing, which I still regret, but that's another story altogether. I'm sure that it will be cherished by a lucky student in Texas!)
0 Comments on Books All Week: Pubishing House Tours & BEA 2010 as of 1/1/1900
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This is just to say that I am getting very excited about a certain 
I'll have to come back to this review. I try to avoid reading reviews of books that I will review myself -- I want my ideas to be own and I don't want to be influenced by others before I have a chance to record my own thoughts.
What a great review - and so deserving. This is my favorite book of yours so far.
I love Colleen's reviews.
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