National Book Festival 2022

Yesterday, I attended the National Book Festival in DC. This festival is local for me, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to see countless extraordinary authors over the years. I began attending when the celebration of books took place outdoors on the National Mall, but it has since shifted to the Washington Convention Center. The past two years have been virtual due to Covid-19, but the 2022 Festival moved back to in-person at the Washington Convention Center. (Side note: I have not been around so many “mask wearers” in months. My ‘guesstimate’ is that 80% of attendees were masked. Which I consider proof that readers are some of the most empathetic people you’ll meet, and I was glad to be among “my people.”) Below I’ll share brief highlights of the sessions I attended, but I will also link the full video from the Library of Congress’ YouTube Channel. All sessions were streamed live, making the event a ‘hybrid’ for those who wanted to watch at home. Note, these pictures are mostly my own, captured on my old iPhone 8. Pardon the photo quality. Jason Reynolds’ photo was captured by my friend and co-worker, Liz Campbell.

Panel: Meet Me in the Winner’s Circle: Award-Winning Writers with Donna Barba Higuera, Darcie Little Badger, and Malinda Lo

This panel was expertly moderated by fellow author, Dhonielle Clayton. All of these recent award winners shared what inspired these stories and whether bans/censorship has affected their desire to tell the stories they want to tell. I personally loved the portion of the talk where Higuera discussed science fiction as a genre. Her sci-fi book, Newbery winner The Last Cuentista, will be in my September recap as I am reading it now!

Panel: You’re Such a Nightmare: Horror Novels with Tiffany D. Jackson and Ryan La Sala

This panel was such fun! I have not (yet) read books by either author, but went home with a book by each of them! Both authors touched on the concept of horrors happening by the light of day. But these two authors were the opposite of scary, and had the audience repeatedly laughing. I highly recommend watching their session (which I will link at the bottom of this post), and I am so looking forward to discovering their books!

Panel: Rage Against the System: Teens Who Don’t Back Down with Samira Ahmed and Sabaa Tahir

The highlight of this panel was the banter between the two authors. They are clearly close friends, and seeing how they can mess with each other and at the same time support each other was delightful. The theme of the panel crossed over to how today’s teens can stand up to power and have an impact on their communities.

Panel: Jason Reynolds Talks About His Latest Books

Jason Reynolds was the final author of the day on the Young Adult stage. He discussed his role as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and his latest book Ain’t Burned All the Bright. But for me, the real highlight was when he took questions from the audience. Each answer was filled with metaphors and gems of knowledge that will stick with the audience well after the 45 minute talk concluded.

Panel: The All-Stars of “Blackout” with Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

The highlight and my own main reason for attending this year’s festival was this panel, which took place on the Main Stage. Moderated by Librarian of Congress herself, Carla Hayden, was a panel with 5 of the 6 New York Times Bestselling authors of the novel Blackout, celebrating Black teen love. I think the picture to the right captures the pure joy of this panel. It was so much fun to hear their stories of how this book came to life, witnessing their camaraderie, and ultimately coming to the conclusion that we need more of this kind of collaboration in our world.

Here are links to video recordings of the Young Adult Stage and “Blackout” on the Main Stage, as well as a link to the full schedule from the 2022 National Book Festival. There were a lot of authors that I did not get to hear, and I’ll definitely be watching the video recordings over the coming week.

PDF of the 2022 National Book Festival Schedule:
https://www.loc.gov/static/events/2022-national-book-festival/documents/NBF22-Printable-Program.pdf

Book Event Preview: NoVa Teen Book Fest 2018

Feb7

NoVa Teen Book Fest
Saturday, March 10, 2018
9am – 5pm
Washington-Lee High School
Arlington, VA

Why you should consider going:
First off, it’s FREE. Secondly, this is one of the most well-organized, thoughtful, fun, and cozy author events in the DC area. The coordinators attract amazing authors, whether it be up and coming talent like the fantastic Jason Reynolds or industry legends like Holly Black.

My favorite part is how this festival groups and organizes authors onto panels surrounding a particular theme. The themes can be timely/relevant to modern issues or focus on a particular element of author’s craft.

Despite how fantastic the event is and it’s growing reputation, the venue is not overcrowded. The auditorium is comfy, the microphones work, the stage easy to see. The breakout rooms give attendees great opportunities to talk to authors in a small group setting. There is a free, covered parking garage for icky weather. And the festival arranges for various food trucks to stop by around lunchbreak.

Here is a link to this year’s schedule: NoVa Teen 2018 Schedule

And below are some authors/books that I’m excited to see this year!

Tomi Adeyemi
Author of Children of Blood and Bone

Summary from Goodreads: Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

The Belles

Dhonielle Clayton
Author of The Belles

Summary from Goodreads: Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Karen M. McManus
Author of One of Us is Lying

Summary from Goodreads: Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.”

Moxie Jennifer Mathieu
Author of Moxie

Summary from Goodreads: Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes and hallway harassment. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.

Viv’s mom was a punk rock Riot Grrrl in the ’90s, so now Viv takes a page from her mother’s past and creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. Pretty soon Viv is forging friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, and she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

Meagan Spooner
Author of Unearthed

Summary from Goodreads: When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying’s advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study… as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don’t loot everything first. Mia and Jules’ different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race’s secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race…

Before She Ignites

Jodi Meadows
Author of Before She Ignites

Summary from Goodreads: Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

Nyxia

Scott Reintgen
Author of Nyxia

Summary from Goodreads: Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family.

Forever.

Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden—a planet that Babel has kept hidden—where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.

Atia Abawi
Author of A Land of Permanent Goodbyes

Summary from Goodreads: In a country ripped apart by war, Tareq lives with his big and loving family . . . until the bombs strike. His city is in ruins. His life is destroyed. And those who have survived are left to figure out their uncertain future.

In the wake of destruction, he’s threatened by Daesh fighters and witnesses a public beheading. Tareq’s family knows that to continue to stay alive, they must leave. As they travel as refugees from Syria to Turkey to Greece, facing danger at every turn, Tareq must find the resilience and courage to complete his harrowing journey.

But while this is one family’s story, it is also the timeless tale of all wars, of all tragedy, and of all strife. When you are a refugee, success is outliving your loss.

Arvin Ahmadi
Author of Down and Across

Summary from Goodreads:
Scott Ferdowsi has a track record of quitting. Writing the Great American Novel? Three chapters. His summer internship? One week. His best friends know exactly what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott can hardly commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion.

With college applications looming, Scott’s parents pressure him to get serious and settle on a career path like engineering or medicine. Desperate for help, he sneaks off to Washington, DC, to seek guidance from a famous professor who specializes in grit, the psychology of success.

He never expects an adventure to unfold out of what was supposed to be a one-day visit. But that’s what Scott gets when he meets Fiora Buchanan, a ballsy college student whose life ambition is to write crossword puzzles. When the bicycle she lends him gets Scott into a high-speed chase, he knows he’s in for the ride of his life. Soon, Scott finds himself sneaking into bars, attempting to pick up girls at the National Zoo, and even giving the crossword thing a try–all while opening his eyes to fundamental truths about who he is and who he wants to be.

Alexandra Christo
Author of To Kill a Kingdom

Summary from Goodreads: Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

And many more authors will be there! That was just a sampling!
Hope to see you there!

Book Review: Sculptor

Apr7

Sculptor
by Scott McCloud
Published by: First Second
Form: Purchased Hardback
Genre: Graphic Novel
Big Themes: Art, Life, Death, Love, Depression, Individuality, Legacy, Time

Summary:
A young artist makes a bargain with Death: unlimited artistic ability but in exchange, David Smith will only have 200 days left to live. With his new ability to sculpt anything his mind can imagine, David struggles to create a legacy to his name. He wants his work to be seen and remembered, but the clock is ticking.

“The best graphic novel I’ve read in years. It’s about art and love and why we keep on trying. It will break your heart.” -Neil Gaiman

Review:

If you are a fan of graphic novels, Scott McCloud should be a familiar name. His books Making Comics and Understanding Comics are must-haves and will change how you read and appreciate graphic novels. I bought these books for my brother about ten years ago after being incredibly impressed by them myself. We would both call ourselves Scott McCloud fans. However, while McCloud has written how-to manuals about comics, he had yet to embark on creating a novel-length piece of graphic fiction. Sculptor is his first.

I had the opportunity to meet and hear Scott McCloud speak at Politics and Prose in DC back in February. He had a great computer presentation that allowed him to show us his creative process and the work that went into Sculptor. The book is a 488 pages and took McCloud five years to craft. This event moved Sculptor to the top of my to-read pile despite how enormous my to-read list is lately.

What I Loved:
The art was gorgeous. You can tell this book was an act of love. Every panel shows thoughtfulness. The novel is set in New York City, and some of the panels made me ache to jump on the train for a visit.

The message about life was another element I loved. I’d like to discuss this book in a book group, but here is what I took away from the book (without giving any spoilers). After reading, I felt like McCloud wanted his readers, particularly young people who are driven to make a name for themselves, to realize that life is more than making your mark. Especially when it comes to creativity, life fuels your work, your craft. Experiences and relationships and everyday life are just as important as any goals or aspirations you may have. And to live in a manic, focused, obsessive state where your entire focus is centered on your own aspirations is wasting the one life you have to live.

This resonated with me because creative types, introverted writers especially, can live in the worlds they create. They can obsess over the right word or phrasing. They can worry if anyone will ever want to read their work. And writing is often such a solitary act that shutting out the real world becomes too easy. So for me, this book was about finding balance. A reminder that life outside of art and ambition is equally important.

Also, the concepts of some of the sculptures that David creates were really, really awesome. I’d imagine that would be difficult to come up with as a writer–ideas for art that corresponds with infinite ability. That was a fun, almost superhero element. Super Sculptor–can mold anything with his bare hands. McCloud made that power seem cool and desirable.

Criticism:
I’d love to have a discussion about Meg. McCloud admits that she fits the trope of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, but he said the following:

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is an archetype that shows up in romance almost exclusively, and our reaction is to mark it for death. We shouldn’t kill what we don’t understand. There’s a reason why this character shows up again and again. I don’t know how well a job I’ve done of investigating those reasons, but I hope there’s something in The Sculptor that makes Meg worthwhile.

Quote from Vulture.com

There are so many things to be discussed about Meg–from her first appearance as an angel, to their talk about her being an object, to her final representation in sculpture form. Am I okay with how McCloud portrayed the only leading female character? My initial answer is no. But I’d love to talk about it.

Overall:
Four stars. Overall, I really enjoyed this. Would highly recommend to all creative types or ambitious types. Recommended for adults due to sex and mature topics.

NoVa Teen Book Festival 2014

Mar11

Where: Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia.
When: Saturday, March 8th from 9:30am to 4pm
Book Event Website: NoVa Teen Book Festival

This was the first book festival organized by NoVa Teen, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I can say I was highly impressed! The venue was bright and comfortable with great acoustics. The program of authors was varied and entertaining. Lots of volunteers in bright red shirts helped answer questions and keep the day running smoothly. And there were loads of tables with books and food for sale. I am certainly adding NoVa Teen Book Fest to my list of annual events!

What I loved most about this event was how they organized the day. In the main auditorium, they had 45 minute author panels, and then in classrooms they had smaller breakout sessions. I didn’t attend any of the breakout sessions, and instead opted for the main panels in the auditorium. Main Author Panels are listed below:

“Who Are You” A discussion about identity, destiny, and the roles that shape characters.
“The Scientist” The morality of science and the consequences of defying nature.
“Survivor” How dire circumstances and high-stakes situations unite and shape characters to defeat the odds.
“Bad Boys” An exploration into the appeal of bad boys and the girls who love them.

I loved that each panel had a theme that went beyond just book genre. I caught the end of the panel about identity, and then listened to both “The Scientist” and “Survivor.”

The Scientist
This panel was my favorite of the day. I love science fiction and this panel was FASCINATING. The topic of science and morality is so timely and relevant. Each author on the panel had a different perspective because each of their books had a different futuristic/science premise.

Jenna Black’s book Replica is based on the scientific premise of being able to create a back-up copy of yourself–complete with memories, physical traits, the whole deal. Essentially cloning, but with that added twist of creating a duplicate copy of not just your body but your brain. Ethics and idenity issues abound with this idea, and it is a fascinating concept. (I bought the book.)

Jennifer Rush’s Altered is a book I’d already purchased as a Kobo ebook, and I started it… but have yet to finish. In part I haven’t finished purely because I only have the Kobo app on my iPad and my iPad isn’t ideal to read on, in my opinion. I need a Kobo ereader. This book is essentially about genetic modifications, and some boys who have been experiments in a lab.

Cristin Terrill wrote All Our Yesterdays, which is about the catastrophic consequences of time travel. The main character’s dilemma is whether she should go back in time and kill the inventor of time travel–even if that inventor was someone she loved and cared about… Sounds a bit like the movie Looper. I loveeee time travel stories, thanks to Ray Bradbury’s “Sound of Thunder.” The consequences of time travel in fiction seems to have infinite possibilities and conflict galore.

And the final member of the panel (also the moderator) was Jon Skovron whose new novel Man Made Boy is about the son of Frankenstein. The son of Frankenstein is a gifted hacker and creates a sentient computer virus. Supposedly, this computer virus lacks empathy for human beings, and Boy Frankenstein must take responsibility for his creation. I thought this was a super interesting premise, and this was one of my book purchases of the day. Plus, Jon Skovron was a great moderator–knowledgeable in the field of YA and asked interesting questions.

Pictures from “The Scientists” Panel

Author Jenna Black

Jennifer Rush and Jenna Black

From Left to Right: Cristin Terrill, Jennifer Rush, Jenna Black, Jon Skovron

Author and Moderator Jon Skovron

Survivor
This is probably one of my all-time favorite topics. I love throwing my characters into high-stakes situations and seeing them fight their way out. And all my favorite books involve authors pummeling their characters with dire circumstances. And while I enjoyed the discussion, it wasn’t quite as mind-blowing as “The Scientist” panel was.

I’ve heard the whole “discuss how your character is a strong female” question before. Yes. Strong, kick-butt females are hot right now. And I doubt that’s gonna change anytime soon… Because the alternative is… weak females? Yeah. Pretty much every author will argue their female lead is strong.

What I did find interesting was the idea that when a female character is too perfect… She’s a Mary Sue. But go to the other end of the spectrum and she’s unlikable. Arrogant? She’s the B-word. However, what several of the panelists argued, is that male characters can be these things. Too perfect is hero figure (Bruce Wayne aka Batman was their example). Arrogant is a beloved bad boy. Female characters seem to have to hit this sweet spot of being just a bit flawed and relatable. Very interesting and something you could delve deeper into if given longer than a 45 minute discussion.

The two authors I was most impressed by during this panel were Kristen Simmons and Meagan Spooner.

Kristen Simmons is the author of Article 5, which at least a dozen people on my Goodreads listed as “Want to Read” but only one actually read (the one person gave it a favorable 4 star review). Perhaps Article 5 hit the dystopian trend a little too late, but from what I heard from Kristen Simmons, I’d still like to give this book a shot. It sounds like a high stakes, exciting read!

These Broken Stars by Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman keeps popping up on my blogger radar with rave reviews. The author described it as “Rose and Jack from Titanic in a spaceship where they crash in the first five minutes and land on the island from LOST.” I paraphrased that. Anyhow, it’s a love story in space from dual perspectives (I totally looove books with two POV characters). And I pretty much had to buy this book based on both that crazy description and to see what all the blogosphere hype is about.

Pictures from Survivor Panel

From Left to Right: Jessica Spotswood, Meagan Spooner, Kristen Simmons, Claudia Gray, Lisa Maxwell

Kristen Simmons and Claudia Gray

Overall, this was a fantastic book event that I would highly recommend attending if you live in the Washington DC metro area. Well-organized and a fun bookish day!

Author Event: February 1, 2014

Feb7

Who (pictured above from left to right):
Megan Shepherd, Jessica Spotswood, Stephanie Perkins, Victoria Schwab, Ellen Oh
Where: Bethesda Library, MD
When: Saturday, February 1st at 2pm

Five YA authors results in a packed room:

I was there mostly to see Stephanie Perkins, author of Lola and the Boy Next Door and Anna and the French Kiss. Perkins was on my “bucket list of authors to meet” and therefore, I was super excited! I was also pleasantly surprised with the rest of the panel. I was familiar with all of their books, even if I hadn’t read them. And it is always nice to hear a variety of authors speak about their writing process.

If you’re looking for a creepy read, you may want to check out Victoria Schwab. She was very fun to listen to and more of a veteran author than I realized. I was only aware of her newer YA book The Archived, where the dead are stored like books on shelves, and the main character hunts down those dead that escape the library. The premise is haunting and intriguing, and after hearing her speak, I’d trust her with my reading time if I feel like a thrills and chills kinda read.

The other author that I’m NO DOUBT CHECKING OUT is Megan Shepherd.

She is one cool chick and a lot like myself. Shepherd is doing gothic/sci-fi retellings of classics. So freaking cool. I’d already bought her first book, The Madman’s Daughter, but never got around to reading it. The Madman’s Daughter is based off of H.G. Wells The Island of Dr. Moreau and her next two books in the series will be based off of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. She did not plan to write a trilogy, but at her editor’s suggestion, she developed this plan that incorporated other classics that were along the same “playing with science” vein. I think that reading her books will be inspirational for my own writing, and I’m excited to check her books out!

And finally, there was the lovely Stephanie Perkins. Upon meeting her, I’d planned to tell her that I loved how all of her characters (even the secondary ones) had their own interests and hobbies. I found this made all her characters very endearing and lovable. I was so pleasantly surprised when the topic of secondary characters came up in the panel discussion, and Perkins cited her inspiration for creating great secondary characters was J.K. Rowling! I knew there was a reason I liked you Stephanie Perkins! She talked about how she thinks it is so amazing that J.K. Rowling managed to create such a HUGE (thousands!) cast of secondary characters that are memorable in their own way. Well, Stephanie Perkins, I believe you have successfully emulated J.K. Rowling because your secondary characters made your books stand out to me beyond the average contemporary fiction. Kudos!

The only autograph I wanted was Perkins. So I stood in line and had a short but lovely chat with her. She has such a glowing, beautiful smile, as you can see in the pictures below!

Love the message to be yourself, and very “Lola” appropriate!
Overall a great author event 🙂

National Book Festival 2013

Oct2

The National Book Festival is held each year on the Mall in DC. I go every year and it’s absolute heaven for a bibliophile like myself. The event is totally free and a great opportunity to meet your favorite authors. Below is a summary of the authors that I had the great opportunity to see this year:

(Click on images to view larger.)

Kirby Larson

I absolutely adored Kirby Larson’s Newbery Honor book, Hattie Big Sky. If you want great historical fiction that is more challenging (but similar to) the American Girl series, you should check out Hattie Big Sky. I’ve purchased, but not yet had the chance to read the sequel Hattie Ever After, but I’m very excited to, especially after hearing Kirby Larson speak!

Matt de la Peña

I had not read any of Matt de la Peña’s books, but I plan to now! In a somewhat soft-spoken voice he told several humorous stories from his own life that had the audience laughing. He explained how his life experiences, being biracial and from a working class family, inspired his fiction. I purchased his book Mexican Whiteboy and am excited to read it!

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

I’m most familiar with Naylor’s Shiloh, about a boy who rescues an abused dog. However, she spoke mostly about her Alice series, which has been highly controversial and on ALA’s most banned book list. Naylor shared many of the letters she’d received from readers regarding the impact the Alice series has had on their lives. I certainly felt by the end of her speech that the Alice series is something I don’t want to miss out on, and I plan to check it out!

Packed crowd for Veronica Roth

Veronica Roth

As expected, Roth drew the biggest crowd of the day. The first book in her dystopian trilogy, Divergent, is a soon-to-be major motion picture, and the series is hot on the heels of the Hunger Games trilogy in terms of popularity. The final book in Roth’s trilogy, Allegiant, is coming out this fall.

Veronica Roth is on the left. Moderator on the right.

Roth is an extremely young author (early 20s), but I was very impressed with her professionalism. She spoke about the trend in YA of strong female heroines, but her dissatisfaction that what makes these heroines strong is that they shoot guns and fight. Shooting guns and fighting are a traditionally masculine version of strong, and Roth hopes that we will see other forms of strength in YA, perhaps feminine and gender neutral forms as well. There was also some discussion of why Tris is so annoying in Insurgent (book 2), and it gave me a little more tolerance for that book, though I don’t think I’ll ever be a raving fan of it like I was for book 1.

Matthew Kirby

I have not read any of Kirby’s books, but the cover of Icefall was familiar as well as award winning. I was charmed by Kirby’s love of research and enthusiasm for writing. I definitely plan to read his latest book, The Lost Kingdom, which looks a little steampunk (I purchased an autographed copy at the book tent).

D.J. McHale

I’ve had many students recommend the Pendragon series, and after hearing D.J. McHale, I definitely NEED to check these books out. McHale is a pro-presenter. He was funny, engaging, and knew how to talk to kids. I purchased an autographed copy of his latest book, SYLO, that I plan to give away in a raffle to students. If you ever get the opportunity to see this guy speak, take it.

Tamora Pierce

Huge confession to make: I haven’t read any books by the legendary Tamora Pierce. I own a few. Haven’t read them. I know I absolutely need to! Pierce’s crowd was brimming with love and enthusiasm for her works. After playing a little prank on the audience that got laughter and applause, Pierce spent pretty much the entire thirty minutes answering questions. It was clear to me that she was confident, strong, witty, and a force to be reckoned with in the writing world. I was thoroughly impressed and also humbled that I am clearly missing out on some great works of fiction. I see a Tamora Pierce binge reading session in my future…

Meeting Marissa Meyer (Scarlet Tour)

Feb22

On Tuesday, February 19, I had the pleasure of meeting Marissa Meyer on her last stop of the Scarlet Tour. I was so incredibly excited because Cinder is one of my favorite books, and I’ve heard that Marissa is a wonderful person.
(She is. Love her.)

Marissa was a fabulous speaker. She was charming and funny and energetic, despite a quiet and kind of mellow crowd of mostly adults and only a few teens. I was a little sad for Marissa because the library and bookstore who hosted the event didn’t do anything for her birthday. I have experience in event planning, and was definitely thinking of some easy ways we could have spruced up the event and made it more festive. If only I’d been in charge of planning instead of just a guest! I did bring Marissa a card, which I like to do for author events anyways. But in this case it doubled as a birthday card as well! Wish I’d brought a cupcake, too!

I’d read a smattering of interviews with Marissa and knew some of her story: her Sailor Moon fanfiction background, her NaNo participation, and her quick publishing contract. However, these tidbits didn’t make up the whole story and it was fun to hear more about where the idea of Cinder came from. I love how a lot of authors are able to trace back the root of their story to other things they love. Marissa was able to talk about how her love of science fiction, Sailor Moon, and fairy tales all came together to inspire her Lunar Chronicles.

After she spoke abut the inspiration for Cinder, Marissa read a bit from Scarlet and shared the true gruesome fairy tales of Cinderella and Red Riding Hood. Then, there was a question and answer period.

I liked Marissa Meyer’s answers to two of the questions during her Q & A. The first was in response to the question “Are you a mechanic?” Where she answered she doesn’t, but she did a lot of research. For my own novel, my main character is a blacksmith, and I’ve never hammered a piece of iron in my life. But I’ve done a lot of research. So hearing her answer this way was encouraging that I’m going about my book the right way.

The second was in response to a question asking how she manages to write different voices for the characters. She said how some characters would just come to her and how others would take some time. I had a similar experience when I was writing my angel short story, where it took awhile before I found my main character’s voice. She said she had trouble finding Scarlet’s voice, but when it came to her, it worked. I like hearing writers who have similar processes as my own. Makes me feel not so crazy and alone in the writing process!

The event ended with book signing, and Marissa’s husband went down the line of people writing our names on Post-Its to help with personalizations. It was fun to chat with him, and it was clear he was so proud of Marissa.

I was extremely smiley and star struck and flustered when I had my chance to talk to Marissa. I forgot to grab any swag that they had laying out on the table. Agh! But I told Marissa how much I loved that she blended two seemingly unlike genres (sci-fi and fairy tales) and how it was something I was working on in my own novel. I also told her how much I loved that Cinder was a mechanic. Yay for women in traditionally male occupations! She was a great listener, recommended a book for me to read, and wished me luck with my writing.

I got both my hardback copy of Cinder and my hardback of Scarlet signed. Yay! Hopefully, I’ll have a complete signed collection someday because I’m confident this is going to be one of my favorite book series.

I just finished re-reading Cinder this evening, and I’m going to go start Scarlet… NOW! Watch for a review in the next week or so!

2012 National Book Festival Schedule

Sep1

The National Book Festival is my favorite book event of the year. It’s in Washigton D.C. on the National Mall and is TOTALLY FREE. The DC Metro is easy to use, so you really don’t have to worry about driving or parking in the city. I’ve been when it was raining (very cold and miserable) and when it’s sunny (glorious). I’ve gotten books signed in the past, but what I usually prefer to do is find a good spot in the Teen Tent and sit and listen to speakers all day. If you want to get books signed, just be prepared to wait in lines and realize that you will miss out on other authors speaking.

If you want to know what the Book Festival is like, I recommend reading last year’s post: National Book Festival 2011

The event is very well-organized and this year’s panel of authors looks fantastic. Authors I’m especially excited about: John Green, James Dashner, Walter Dean Myers, Lois Lowry, Maggie Stiefvater, Melissa Marr, and Avi. This year’s festival is Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23. See a full list of speakers below:

Saturday, Children’s Tent
Time Author
10:00-10:45 Laura Amy Schlitz
10:55-11:40 Peter Brown
11:50-12:35 James Dashner
12:45-1:30 Jewel
1:40-2:25   Natalie Pope Boyce
1:40-2:25   Mary Pope Osborne
2:35-3:20   Jerry Spinelli
3:30-4:15   Chris Raschka
4:25-5:10   Anna Dewdney

Saturday, Teens & Children’s Tent
Time   Author
10:00-10:45 John Green
10:55-11:40 Mike Lupica
11:50-12:35 Walter Dean Myers
12:45-1:30 Lois Lowry
1:40-2:25   Maggie Stiefvater
2:35-3:20   Melissa Marr
3:30-4:15   David Levithan
4:25-5:10   R.L. Stine

Sunday, Children’s Tent
Time   Author
12:00-12:45 Bob Balaban
12:55-1:40 Patricia Polacco
1:50-2:35   Michael Grant
2:45-3:30   Erin E. Stead
2:45-3:30   Philip C. Stead
3:40-4:25   David Ezra Stein
4:35-5:20   Avi

Teens & Children
Time   Author
12:00-12:45 Bryan Collier
12:55-1:40 Ellen Hopkins
1:50-2:35   Siobhan Vivian
1:50-2:35   Jenny Han
2:45-3:30   Jacqueline Woodson
3:40-4:25   Sharon Flake
4:35-5:20   Sonia Manzano

More information on the National Book Festival can be found on the Library of Congress Book Festival Site.

Let me know if you’re thinking of going! I’d love to see you there!

Gaithersburg Book Festival 2012

May21

This year was the 3rd annual Gaithersburg Book Festival, and with perfect weather, there were crowds of people celebrating books. This was my second year attending, and I was again impressed with how well-organized and professional the event was. More people showed up this year, but you still had easy access to some really talented and amazing authors.

Below is a synopsis of each author I heard speak:

Meredith Goldstein
Author of the book, The Singles, and columnist for the Boston Globe, Goldstein was honest and funny as she spoke about the writing process for her book which is about five single people invited to a wedding. Timed to come out during the wedding season, the book explores how five different people (3 men, two women) cope with going to a wedding alone. Most of the authors I was familiar with were later in the day, so I stumbled upon Goldstein in the morning by chance. I’m definitely happy I heard her speak, and will definitely be checking her book out.

John Corey Whaley

Winner of this year’s Printz award for Where Things Come Back, Whaley was sarcastic and self-deprecating. He joked about the sweat he was mopping off his forehead with a southern boy handkerchief, and spoke of how his first year teaching at his alma mater was a terrible experience where he learned things about his former teachers he never wanted to know. On the topic of his book, Whaley shared how a news story and his small hometown in Louisiana inspired Where Things Come Back. While his book doesn’t sound like my typical read, I’m definitely intrigued. I bought a copy of the book, had it autographed, and it’s now sitting in my massive to-read pile.

Michael Buckley

I’d heard Michael Buckley (author of The Sisters Grimm and N.E.R.D.S.) speak before, and as he is a former stand-up comedian, I knew I wanted to hear him again. The beginning of his speech, I was distracted by a rapidly melting ice cream cone dripping all down my arm (and trying not to get chocolate on my white skirt). But the second half of his speech he spent answering questions for adoring little girl fans. He had witty responses for all of them, but my favorite was:

Q: What made you want to write for children?

A: J.K. Rowling’s payday.

Michelle Ray

Michelle Ray was by far my favorite author of the day. She was a cheerful and engaging speaker. I have not yet read her debut novel, Falling for Hamlet, but knew Ray would be one of my must see authors of the festival because Hamlet is tied with Romeo and Juliet for my favorite Shakespearean play and the idea of a YA modern retelling from Ophelia’s point-of-view is AWESOME. Ray spoke of her love of Shakespeare and how she strives to make Shakespeare not-so-scary. (She wore an awesome Cafe Press shirt that said “Shakespeare Sucketh Not”) She showed us her writing notebook (which is very similar to my own crazy scribbles). And when I got my book signed, she was so genuine and personable. She is a teacher as well, and that makes her extra awesome because it gives me hope that the stress of teaching will not prevent me from achieving my own writing/publishing goals. Can you tell I was impressed? Her book is going near the top of my to-read pile (right after my mandatory grad school reading… or will I slip it in early for a break… we’ll see!)

Other authors I heard:

Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights and his new book Father’s Day: A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son
Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men Are Gone which is a collection of short stories about the men, women, and families of the U.S. Army.
Marvin and Deborah Kalb, authors of Haunting Legacy: Vietnam and the American Presidency from Ford to Obama This father/daughter team spoke about the impact the Vietnam war on the American Presidency from elections to foreign policy.

Meeting Kristin Cashore

May8

Kristin Cashore has a special place in my heart. I adore her books, but the reason she’s extra special to me is because she indirectly led me to the graduate program I’m currently in (and love).

About 3-4 years ago I was applying to Masters programs. I knew I wanted to write fiction and specifically for teens/YA. I applied to a nearby, prestigious school’s MFA program… and got in. But they promptly told me I would have to write for adults, not children.

I was very discouraged and frustrated because I didn’t see the difference in writing for adults versus writing for teens. A good story is a good story. Good characterization is good characterization. Good pacing is good pacing. Good writing is good writing. I just wanted to study writing, to grow, to learn, to hone my craft. However, I didn’t want to be forced into writing for a particular audience. And I certainly didn’t want to take classes with a faculty that was so elitist and narrow-minded. I didn’t know what I was going to do because I had to take classes close to my job, and that limited the schools I could apply to.

Around this same time, I read Graceling. I absolutely LOVED the book, and promptly went online to look up Kristin Cashore. In her short bio, I read this:

During my stint in Boston, I got an M.A. at the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons College. (Thank you, Simmons, for the scholarship that made this possible!) Grad school almost killed me, but I felt a lot more alive than when I was almost being killed in college. The Simmons program is stupendous. It got me thinking and breathing YA books. It got me writing.

I immediately went to Simmons’ website, began reading, and probably started glowing a little. I requested more information about the program… but I did not end up going to Simmons. Just two years into my teaching career, I was reluctant to leave when I had just received my tenure. Simmons would have required that I move to Boston, and I wasn’t ready to do that. (Though some days I do wonder what my life would be like with a degree in hand by now as a Bostonian and without the stress the past three years of teaching has brought me.)

Someone at Simmons e-mailed me and suggested I check out Hollins University (because it was closer to where I live and also because their program could be completed over 3-5 summers). And here I am now, 24 credits into my MFA in Children’s Literature and I couldn’t be happier with my choice.

So that’s why I indirectly credit Kristin Cashore with leading me to my graduate degree. I honestly don’t know if I would have discovered that there were Masters programs in Children’s Lit out there… had I not read her bio.

One thing I hate about book signings: you never have time to tell an author everything you want to say to them. There’s people behind you in line and you’re being moved along. But… if I was an author… I’d like to hear how I’ve impacted people. Not just sign my name for an hour.

My solution to this problem: I wrote Kristin Cashore a card and handed it to her when I got my book signed. Worked great. My card looked like this:

And said this:

We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives. —Dan Zadra
Inside: Thanks for making a difference.

And I wrote her more-or-less the story I told you above.

Now, as to what Kristin spoke about at her talk/signing:

She read two excerpts from Bitterblue, which got me quite excited to read the book 🙂

She then had lots of pictures of her manuscripts and stressed how difficult writing is and how failure is a huge part of the writing process. She told us how Bitterblue is the most difficult book she’s written. She showed us pictures of handwritten pages with huge sections crossed out. She showed us the 700 page first draft. She showed us pictures of the piles of paper that would be the seven drafts Bitterblue went through.

Kristin then went on to answer questions from the audience. She got all the typical questions:

Where do you get your names from?
Do you want Graceling to be a movie?
Would you want to have input in the movie production?
Who would you want cast in the movie?

You tend to hear a lot of the same questions at these things. Probably the most interesting question was about the feminist influences in the books. Kristin spoke a bit about how her strict upbringing and experiences with sexism probably influenced how feminist ideas have manifested themselves in her books.

She was very humble and so clearly LOVES WRITING. I really enjoyed seeing her in person, and think she’s a very cute and inspiring young author.

My final words to Kristin were:
“I love how you write about strong women. And men who like strong women.”

Wordy Hughes

Middle Grade & YA Book Reviews and Posts About Writing

Category Archives: Book Events