"Life is choosing whom and what you love. Everything else follows.": Todd Johnson

The Sweet By And By (Amazon) by Todd Johnson was a surprise book-basically, I got a gift card for my birthday from my sister, and I decided to just to pick out some random books from Barnes and Noble. I must say, this book was certainly a surprise. It follows the story of women in various walks off life, all struggling with aging.

I thought the book was sad, but in a good way. There were definitely high points, but the nature of the subject made it impossible to sugarcoat. And that's okay. Honestly, when I picked it up, I expected something of a Divine Secrets of The Yaya Sisterhood. It wasn't much of that at all. Instead, it was... well, itself. I really enjoyed it. I thought it seemed like a realistic depiction of aging and all the joy and pain that goes along with it.

Todd Johnson has contact information, so here's the email I wrote him:
"I just wanted to let you know that The Sweet By and By was a wonderfully heart wrenching book. You did an amazing job of capturing the struggles these women went through. I have to say, I was a bit surprised when I realized the book was written by a man. I hope you don't take offense to that-I mean it as a compliment. Good luck on all of your future projects."

See you tomorrow!

"He was the best of toms. He was the worst of toms.": Carmen Agra Deedy & Randall Wright

The Cheshire Cheese Cat (Amazon) by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright is the tale of an alley cat turned mouser who becomes friends with a mouse. The book is an "homage" to Charles Dickens, and indeed, Dickens is not only a character, but is referenced throughout the book.

This book is a quick read, and rather cute. Personally, I really enjoyed it, not just for the literary references, but for the writing style and story. Occasionally, the text would be formatted to show the action happening during the story, which is always fun to read, in my opinion. This book is geared towards a younger audience, but adults can definitely enjoy this too. This book is set to be released in October.

I couldn't find contact information for either of the authors. Oh well.

In other news, Neve Maslakovic wrote a blog entry expanding on one of the questions in her interview! Check it out here. See you tomorrow!

Author Interview: Neve Maslakovic

Hello all! I was hoping to get a book done by today, but I did not. On the plus side, I do have an awesome interview with Neve Maslokavic, author of Regarding Ducks and Universes (Amazon)! Check out her website here!

Author Bio
Before writing Regarding Ducks and Universes, Neve Maslakovic was crafting technical
papers and finishing her Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Stanford University’s STAR
Lab (Space, Telecommunications and Radioscience Laboratory). She spent her early
years speaking Serbian in then communist Yugoslavia; after stops along the way in
London, New York, and California, she has settled near Minneapolis/St. Paul, where
she lives with her husband and son. Neve is a member of the Loft Literary Center and is currently hard at work on her second novel. Visit her at www.nevemaslakovic.com.

Interview
1. You have a background in electrical engineering. What made you decide you also
wanted to be a novelist?

I've been an avid reader all my life and had always wanted to try my hand at writing
fiction. As I was finishing my Ph.D. thesis (on ways of reducing man-made interference at the Big Dish, Stanford University's radio telescope) I came down with repetitive strain syndrome. I could barely open doors and drive myself, so after graduating I had to take time off. I spent that time reading— a lot! — and one day sat down to write and things just clicked. I now limit my typing to an hour at a time, which is a long time to sit still anyway, and vary that with editing on paper, reading, stretching my legs by taking a walk around the neighborhood lake to think about where the book is going, that kind of thing.

2. What was the hardest thing about writing Regarding Ducks and Universes?

The writing is the fun part. I enjoy all aspects of it –- filling up a blank page, research, editing... Well, except maybe for proofreading, because you're supposed to be only concentrating on finding typos and such in the manuscript, but I always want to keep making edits! Not big ones, just little details here and there. I hope I didn't drive my editor nuts doing that.

The business side of things is a different story. At some point you have to let go of the book and suddenly there are deadlines to worry about, reviews, sales numbers, marketing, promotion… It was all a bit overwhelming at first, but I am getting to the point where I feel more comfortable with that stuff.

3. Do you have any advice for new writers?

It's an interesting time to be in the publishing business. So much is changing and there are many paths to publication. I guess I'd say -- stay open to all opportunities. I entered my manuscript in a contest (the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award) and it led to an offer. At the time I was querying agents and also keeping an eye out on all the interesting stuff going on with the Kindle.

4. Can you tell us anything about your next project?

My second novel, which is nearing a first draft, is time-travel one. It follows the story of a motley group of university employees who are marooned in the past. To get back home they need all their wits and a little bit of luck—and a package of cheese, as it happens. I don't want to give away too much at this point (check for updates at www.nevemaslakovic.blogspot.com), especially since this is the stage when things get pulled together and anything and everything is open to tweaking! Such is the nature of the editing process.

5. What is your favorite (or are your favorite) book(s)?

I'm one of those people who has trouble choosing a favorite anything, and books especially. Movies I have given plenty of online ratings to, but for some reason can't do it with books. If you go to my Goodreads page, for instance, you'll find that I've written brief reviews of books I like, but none of them have ratings. So in lieu of listing a favorite book, I'll list some favorite authors whose books sit on my shelves: Jasper Fforde, Dorothy L. Sayers, Connie Willis, Isaac Asimov, Elizabeth Peters, Douglas Adams, Alexander McCall Smith, Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse, Jules Verne… I could go on, but that's probably a good beginning!


Awesome! Everyone should totally check out her website and book! See you tomorrow!

"Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die.": John Green

Looking For Alaska (Amazon) by John Green is a book about a boy who goes to boarding school, trying to find what he calls a Great Perhaps, and he ends up finding... well, quite a few things, including friends (something he had never had before). One of them is a girl named Alaska Young, who he proceeds to fall in love with.

The book is written in sections with titles like "one hundred days before" and "forty-six days after." Now, I just read the Amazon summary, and it spoils what the "before" and "after" is about. I don't want to spoil it, because I liked not really knowing (it is foreshadowed a bit) and guessing. However, I'm going to say this: I got to that part while reading at work and I got pretty close to tears. I assume that if I hadn't been at work it would have been a lot worse.

This book hit home in a lot of ways, and I wanted to send an emotional email to John Green. He does have contact information up, with the caveat that he won't respond, pretty much no exceptions. For some reason, seeing that made me feel uncomfortable. I'm sure it's just because he's busy (he's pretty famous, I suppose-I just had never heard of him before), and doesn't want people to get their hopes up for a reply, but I still feel mildly uncomfortable sending him this emotional message, knowing he won't reply. It seems silly, somehow, even though I don't necessarily expect a reply from anyone else. I decided to send him a quick note instead (he does say that he reads every email):

"I just finished Looking For Alaska (recommended by a friend), and I wanted to commend you on an excellent story. Even though I didn't very much like the character of Alaska (she reminds me of some people I know and don't particularly get along with), it didn't matter. The book hit an emotional nerve with me, and I wanted to let you know that you did a very good job (something I'm sure you already know!). Good luck with all of your future projects!"

EDIT: I just got a delivery failure reply email, using the email on his website. Oh well.

Sorry I didn't post for a few days! It was my birthday weekend and I was rather busy! I should be back to posting daily now though.

Follow Friday

Question: In light of the Summer Solstice. Also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

Answer: I'm not entirely sure... I'm honestly not a big fan of faerie stories, nor have I read a whole lot of them. The only thing I can even think now is A Midsummer Night's Dream, because of the word "Midsummer" in the question. Unfortunately, faeries in general aren't really my cup of tea.



Question: When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?

Answer: I have no idea... it just always was! I read all the time as a child, and I still do now! Though, this past year made me realize how much I truly love it... last year I didn't read as much as I used to. Picking up reading again made me realize how much I missed it.

Author Reply: Joan Lester

A reply from the author of Black, White, Other. (See original post here.) She thanked me for my email and said she was glad that she made the characters real and understandable!

Also, keep an eye out, Neve Maslokovic, author of Regarding Ducks and Universes (see posts here and here.) has agreed to answer some interview style questions for us!

See you tomorrow!

"Some Girls Get In Trouble.": Ellen Levine

In Trouble (Amazon) by Ellen Levine is a book about dealing with teenage pregnancy in the 50's. Girls who get pregnant out of wedlock are shamed to no end, and many resort to desperate measures to get rid of their child. The ones who don't want to get rid of their child through termination of the pregnancy are often sent to group homes, where they make you change your name and give up the child. Now, In Trouble isn't all about teen pregnancy-it's also about McCarthy era politics and a family torn apart by one of their members being accused of being a communist.

Honestly, at first I wasn't a big fan of the book-it felt like Ellen Levine went to some extreme lengths to set up the setting. However, as the book progressed, I forgot about that, and paid more attention to the story. I have to say, I loved it. I honestly think anyone who has an opinion on contraception or abortion or really anything having to do with reproductive rights of women should read this book. I don't think it will change anyone's mind, but I think that understanding the difficult position some people are in when deciding whether or not to terminate a pregnancy or give a child up for adoption is very important. I think Ellen Levine does a pretty good job of conveying the hopelessness and overall confusion of the situation for a young girl.

She has contact information! Here's my email:
"I just finished In Trouble (through netgalley.com) and I wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed it. I think you did a remarkable job of portraying girls struggling with teen pregnancy. In Trouble is a book I think anyone with a stance on women's reproductive rights should read. Good luck with all of your future projects!"

This book will be out in September.

An author reply will be posted later today! See you then!